Spring Fever
by PerditaAlottachocolate
Summary: Spring gets to Adrien in a very peculiar way. Not only he's suddenly sure, without even a shadow of a doubt, that Marinette is the love of his life, but he also can't keep away from her. Quite literally. And then there's this mysterious fever burning within him. Plagg knows the cure but will Adrien have the guts to reach for it?
1. Just friends

**1\. Just a friend**

**_In which Adrien makes a discovery_**

It came out of nowhere. Or maybe he just didn't see it coming. Like a fever spike. Like a lightning strike.

Like a freight train.

It was on one of those school trips Miss Bustier liked to drag them onto. They went to Paris' Botanical Garden because there was no better time for that than April when the spring hit her peak and everything was blooming like crazy.

If someone told him he'd have a revelation in the fruit trees lane he'd probably laugh out loud. There was one girl in his heart, and nothing could convince him otherwise.

Well, the laugh was on him. And frankly, he didn't care.

Apple, cherry, peach and mirabelle plum. Trees in full bloom all covered in white fluffy, flowery snow. Yellow spheres of forsythias adorned the lawns. Distant magnolias tempted with pink shades of their petals. The garden look as if taken straight from a fairy tale. Or maybe this was what Eden used to look like.

And just like a good fairy tale it featured one beautiful princess. The woman in the garden of Eden. Only her name wasn't Eve, but...

_Marinette._

She soaked in the views, the smells, the sounds, inexplicably happy. She whispered excitedly that she could live in spring forever. She hummed softly under her breath as she took in every little detail of her surroundings.

And Adrien watched, mesmerized, as her eyes lit up at the next flower, next scent, next insect industriously busying itself in the corollas. Her cheeks were as pink as magnolia flowers, eyes bluer than the sky above them. And she seemed so open and inviting he found himself surprised no forest animal decided to show up to sing to her.

The sight of Marinette vibrating with excitement at something as simple as nature, the way she seemed to shine with inner light stirred something deep within him. It left him flabbergasted. Breathless. Smitten.

He simply couldn't take his eyes off her. Blind and deaf to anything but her, tuned only to Marinette's hum of delight. Even Nino's not so subtle jabs went right over his head. There was nothing else in his world right now.

Just _her_.

She's just a friend, just a friend, he kept telling himself as his heart begged to differ. Only it was no longer his. All it wanted was to rip out of his aching chest and run, run to her, as fast as possible. It whispered about bringing her apple twigs every day, just to witness those eyes lit with joy, just to hear those lips sigh in wonder, just to see those hands clap in excitement.

The walls he had carefully built and maintained for so long where crumbling, crumbling under the onslaught of his senses. And each and every one of them told him the exact same thing.

That here, in the garden of Eden he found the love of his life, bathed in the spring sunlight to the smell of apple trees and the buzzing of bees.

'Monsieur Agreste, are you with us?'

'Yes, Marinette,' he breathed.

A bout of laughter, but not from her. Marinette caught his eye, flushed pink, and averted her gaze. He mourned the loss of the lit up sky in her irises.

'My name is Caline Buster, Adrien,' an amused voice said somewhere near. 'And I think you've had enough sun for one day.'

He doubted he'd have enough in a lifetime, but he let his teacher walk him to a bench in the shade, where he could watch Marinette some more.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm half a month late for the party, but oh well, this plot bunny wouldn't stop bothering me so I thought I could give it a try. There're at least a few prompts from Adrinette April I'm going to hit with this fic, though definitely not all of them. The schedule is a mystery too – probably every 2-4 days, but we'll see how it goes._

_Let me know what you think! Your reviews make me want to write more! And if Adrinette is the content you're looking for, check out my last year's story for Adrinette April – "April Weather"._

_A huge thank you to Remasa for giving this chapter a look. Make sure to read her latest masterpiece "A Host Unto His Own". _


	2. Seat buddies

**2\. Seat buddies**

_**In which Adrien has some regrets**_

How could Nino betray him like this? And at such a difficult moment. His formerly best friend shot him with a finger gun and turned his attention to Alya, who took the seat next to him. All the other seats were already taken except for those next to two girls he'd rather avoid, for two very different reasons.

Adrien sped up before Lila would haul him into the free seat at the front. Between a rock and a hard place, he chose the rock that was Marinette. Weren't fortresses built of rock? At least some of them must have been, and right now he desperately needed a safe place, to sort out his feelings. If he was honest with himself he'd prefer to do this alone, but those circumstances came in extremely short supply on school trips, and in a bus nonetheless, so he needed to work with what he had.

Besides now that he found himself next to the object of his newly discovered feelings he felt a strange pull, almost magnetic in its nature. A pull with a clear vector pointing towards Marinette. Even the hair on the hand that was closer to her stood up as if trying to get nearer.

Interesting, he thought. And potentially problematic.

Marinette turned to greet him with a bright smile, the excitement from earlier still lingering on her lips and he thought he could die right there and then. Her hand accidentally brushed his forearm as she fixed her hold on the armrest setting his skin on fire once again. The blush seemed to start at the point of touch and spread from there. Adrien already felt it crawling under his rolled sleeve and he was dreading the moment it would show up on his face. The heat it carried was almost unbearable as if the fever somehow travelled with it.

He risked a peek at his seat buddy. At the sign of attention she straightened up and bit her lip.

'How do you feel?' She asked. 'The sun did a number on you today.'

Her hand rested on top of his palm, setting the fire alarm on once again. Adrien did everything within his power not to jump.

'Uh-buh,' he replied eloquently.

Words. What were they?

Marinette's smile morphed into a tender concern immediately. She turned to her backpack, mercifully abandoning all contact. If she kept touching him randomly, he would probably self combust before they get to school.

'Here,' she passed him a water bottle. 'I always carry an extra one, but I didn't need it today.'

He nodded, trying to keep the eye contact so that she wouldn't be weirded out by his odd behavior. The little sting when their fingers brushed over the bottle made his head _spin_.

What the hell was happening to him?

Adrien gobbled the offered water in large gulps. It seemed to put out the internal fire. He paid Marinette a small bow of gratitude, not trusting his tongue to have figured out human speech yet. Marinette smiled in reply and turned to window. She sank to her seat returning her elbow to the armrest.

Her arm brushed against his. He couldn't decide if this was heaven or hell. The contact sent his heart into an excited dance and set his skin ablaze again. The heat resumed its crawl over his body. It was spreading fast and Adrien could feel every hot splotch that bloomed over his skin. He concentrated on his breathing. The skin on his arm, where Marinette's hand was pressed went numb in self defense.

Adrien had to face the fact that he was sweating like a pig next to the love of his life. Little droplets dripped from his forehead and splashed onto his t-shirt. He was thankful for the generous amount of cologne he had applied or he would soon start to…

Smell. What was that stinky-sock smell? The rotten aroma of cheese seemed to be coming from…

Oh, no.

Never in his life had Adrien cursed Plagg's choice of treats more than at that moment. Never in his life had he regretted keeping them on his person instead of a container or a bag. Prolonged heat is not a condition camembert can survive. Not for long anyway.

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut wishing for the bus to go faster or for the time-space continuum to curve allowing for their quicker arrival. He heard Marinette sniff once, twice. He popped one eye open.

She was staring straight ahead with a deadpan look. Of course, always a lady she didn't comment on the stink that was coming from Adrien's overshirt pocket.

'New fragrance?' She asked when she noticed he was watching her.

Adrien nodded. 'Prototype sample,' he rasped. If she was offering an explanation that would save his honor, he'd stick to that.

Professional as ever Marinette seemed to consider this. She scrunched up her nose and pressed her lips together. The cute wrinkle on her forehead got deeper.

'It's not fair they treat you like a guinea pig,' she finally said. 'Besides, I don't think it works. Too intensive.'

At that moment the fate took pity on him. The bus arrived at school.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the follows, favs and reviews! I am so glad you liked that first chapter. Now please let me know what do you think about this update! I need all the motivation I can get if I am supposed to write more (and believe me, real life is trying really hard to stop me)._

_A special thank you to Remasa, who helped me fix a few things in this!_

_Next on Spring Fever: Embarrassing. _


	3. Embarrassing

**3\. Embarrassing**

_In which Adrien is a keeper_

Adrien shot out of his seat as it was on fire. Then he remembered his manners and with a flourish he let Marinette go out first. She smiled sweetly and joined Alya on their way to the locker room. Adrien followed nearby, the rest of the class at his heels so he needed to move fast.

He grabbed his spare t-shirt and a bottle of deodorant from his locker and made a beeline for the bathroom. When he emerged few minutes later, leaving the godforsaken cheese odour in the past, Marinette was still beside her locker chatting with Rose and Juleka.

Adrien's heart did a little somersault. It looked like he had less and less power over his own organs. His cheeks already stung from the fierceness of their color but he soldiered on. He sent the girl an apologetic smile, but she didn't seem bothered by his antics during the trip. Considering her own tendency to slip, squeak and stutter, he supposed she'd seen or experienced worse. He returned to his locker to take out some textbooks. Judging by the sounds of retreating steps and fading voices the girls were already leaving.

Good. He really could use a breather.

_Tap._

His left foot took a step towards the locker room door. Without his intention.

_Tap._

His right foot followed.

He was so shocked he didn't even try to stop.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _

Another step and another. Adrien was staring at his feet in wonder.

_Bam! _

He walked right into the opened door of Chloe's locker.

'Adrikins!' she exclaimed. 'Are you all right?'

'Fine!' he chirped, rubbing the bruise on his forehead.

His feet froze in place. He looked up only to see Marinette at the entrance, staring at him worryingly.

'Is everything okay?' The love of his life spoke and he no longer heard babbling Chloe.

'Peachy!' he squeaked in reply. He had been sure he'd never again hear those frequencies after his voice changed.

Marinette didn't seem convinced. 'Maybe you should go to the nurse?'

'I'm fine!' Adrien insisted.

He noticed that he must have finally managed to freak her out because she never moved from the door. He couldn't decide if this was a bad thing (because obviously she should already be here next to him, comforting him and tending to his bruise, which would be nice, because she smelled so lovely and Adrien get a grip on yourself, you hopeless dweeb), or a good thing (because he was a big boy who would not make a fuss of one lousy bruise, he was great all by himself, even if all he wanted was to never part with the love of his life, and Adrien focus, because you're staring and rambling out an inner monologue, that's not healthy). He took a deep breath. 'I'm fine,' he repeated in a calmer voice.

'You know best,' she shrugged and turned to resume her walk towards the classroom.

This time Adrien felt the pull that demanded he follow. He tried to resist, focusing on keeping his feet under control when the upper half of his body disobeyed him. He swayed forward and almost fell to the floor.

Something was pulling him after Marinette, an invisible force that literally dragged his body over the school grounds in the direction she went. All he could do was to try and stay more or less upright and appear to be walking intentionally. The result was… well very much zombie like until he finally stopped resisting.

And the grander the distance the stronger and more persistent the pull was, spurring him to move faster in his chase. He regained control over his limbs about a meter and a half around the girl, at the threshold of their class.

Marinette spun around at the sudden movement behind her back. His lips automatically stretched in a smile that he wished was more worthy of a model, less awkward and less toothy, too. His teeth apparently wanted to greet her very much. Adrien very much wanted to grit them but he didn't dare at a moment like this.

The love of his life reciprocated with a reluctant smile and a raised brow. Her eyes searched his face blinking a few times. Adrien's chest puffed at the attention. He felt emboldened enough to risk a small wave. To his utmost delight Marinette giggled and it was as if Venus herself spilled the finest pearls over the Dupont college's floor.

'Marinette, you coming or what?' Alya's voice cut into what he liked to believe was adorkable silence. He wasn't sure where the little pink bubbles came from, but the love of his life looked absolutely stunning with them as the background.

'You're blocking the door!' Another person shouted.

Embarrassment flashed in Marinette's eyes as she stuttered. 'Right, right. I'm sorry. I'm coming, I'm coming!'

The sweetest of apologetic smiles tugged at her lips. She didn't turn, just made a step back to enter the class.

Adrien's right foot obediently took a step after her.

Damn, he forgot about that. The look of painful surprise on his face made Marinette freeze, but when he didn't move she made another step back.

Adrien's left foot stepped forward immediately.

The girl tilted her head. Her kind eyes got larger as she stared at him. Marinette wasn't the kind of person to expect mocking from him, especially since he literally did nothing more than follow her.

Keeping her gaze fixed on him she stepped left.

Adrien's right foot followed.

Her brow quirked and a shadow of smirk danced on her lips. Still watching him she took a step back, then chasséd sideways.

Adrien's feet didn't even ask, just carried out the instructions of the love of his life.

Marinette chuckled and spun in a pirouette, moving a little bit away from him. This time his feet spared him further humiliation and just stepped forward. He noticed that with each step the distance between them got smaller.

The girl made another step and her back hit the teacher's desk.

Adrien had no other choice, the pull was too strong to disobey. He was right in front of her, only centimeters apart. His hands reached for her waist and it took almost superhuman strength to make them land on the desk, bracketing her sides instead. He gripped the wood so hard it creaked ominously.

It might have been his imagination, but the air between them seemed to be charged with static electricity. He took a deep breath and a delightful scent of spring filled his lungs, taking him straight into the garden of Eden.

'Can I help you?' Marinette's voice brought him back from cloud nine. She looked to him. A little bit uncertain, but definitely not afraid. Rather patiently waiting for the moment when things start to make sense.

'I just…' gosh, he must have looked like a complete idiot! And he couldn't do anything about it. Resigned, he decided he was hopeless enough to try it. 'I just like to be close to you,' he muttered for her ears only.

Marinette flushed bright pink at that. It was definitely a good color on her. Adrien instantly started to think of all the things he could do to make her blush more often.

'Ekhm, ekhm,' Miss Bustier cleared her throat.

This time it was the love of his life who squeaked. She grabbed his hand, sending goosebumps all over his skin, and then she proceeded to drag him to his desk, taking a seat behind. It was close enough for him to stay in one place, even if the hair at the back of his neck rose and the faint tickling of the pull continued throughout the last of their lessons.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews, favs and follows so far! I'm glad you like this story and I'm doing what I can to write more of it while it's still April. As usual I ask you to leave a few words in the review box if you can._

_A sincere thank you to Remasa, who beta read this chapter and found all those pesky mistakes I left. Check out her newest story "A Host Unto His Own", it's so gooood!_


	4. Hide me

**4\. Hide me**

_In which Adrien takes a leap of faith_

For the whole lesson Adrien had been almost painfully aware of the girl in the seat behind him. Her presence was both soothing and rousing. He didn't learn much during that last lesson of the day, he remembered even less. The only thing he could focus on was the heavenly scent of flowers and earthy soil, the source of which was located in the next row from his. The only thing his ears were eagerly seeking were the small sighs coming from her lips. Gosh, even her breathing was cute. The skin of his forearm, where she had grabbed to pull him to his seat, still tinkled with tiny sparks. It screamed "MORE" in big hot letters.

After a while Adrien gave up on trying to follow the lecture and decided to dedicate the remaining time to dissect the events of the last two hours. Starting with how exactly he'd come to believe Marinette was the love of his life. He drew out a blank on that. Yet with a certainty he hitherto hadn't experienced he knew she was. It was unquestionable. The eleventh commandment.

"_Thou shall love and worship Marinette Dupain-Cheng with thine every breath, with every beat of thy heart, with every bit of thy soul."_

Yup, that sounded about right.

Those last sane brain cells of his pointed out, that this was a rather sudden and surprising development, but there was something so fundamentally _right_ about it, he couldn't bring himself to question the feeling. Marinette was all things amazing, no wonder he fell in love with her. It seemed inevitable and he even begun to wonder why it took him so long.

By the end of the classes Adrien slipped into a dazed state of daydreaming about gardens and Marinette, stunned by the proximity of the love of his life. He must have had a particularly lovestruck expression because Miss Bustier smirked every time she looked at him.

And then the bell rang and Marinette raised from her seat. He barely had time to collect his things before the invisible tether pulled him after her. He kept close enough not to feel uncomfortable, yet far enough to give her some space. If he timed it just right, he might be able to leave school without any more embarrassing incidents. He almost made it to the school entrance when he spotted his bodyguard already waiting next to his limo.

At that Adrien realized there was no power that could allow him more than four steps away from Marinette right now, not to mention two blocks that separated their houses. If he stepped outside and proceed with his schedule for the day, he'd inevitably make a show of himself _and_ draw attention to his creepy tendency to follow a cute classmate of his. If social media reactions to their pictures from the fountain and the cinema were anything to go by, the internet would probably break after word of his current predicament got out.

'Marinette,' he speeded up and caught her arm before she could leave the school. 'Wait.'

'Yes?' She froze under his touch, but seeing his concern she immediately went into her "amazing friend" mode. 'Is something the matter?'

His heart sang at how thoughtful and caring that girl was. How perceptive and smart. It would continue with this litany, but Marinette was waiting for an answer.

'Marinette, I…' he hesitated. How exactly did one go about being bound to someone by an invisible force? It must have had something to do with magic, but he doubted Marinette would believe him. She might not outright laugh in his face, but she'd probably be disappointed.

'I can't go home right now.' There, he settled for half of the truth, but at least he was being honest. He knew she'd recognize that. The love of his life had a sixth sense for detecting lies. He would _not_ lie to her. He was incapable of doing so.

Her expression turned into fierce protectiveness and a wave of calm washed over him. 'Is it like that time with your mom's film?' she asked. Her eyes flickered to the figure of Gorilla waiting on the street.

He rubbed the back of his neck. 'Kind of? Not exactly. I just…' he babbled.

Marinette silenced him by putting her hand on his shoulder. 'It's okay, Adrien. You don't have to tell me everything,' she gave him an encouraging squeeze. 'You're my _friend_, if you need to do this, we're doing this.'

For some reason the f-word slapped him across the cheek. She was his good friend, she had been for a long time. But right now he couldn't settle for that. He wanted more, much more. Every fibre of his body screamed to confess his undying love for her. And he probably would have obeyed, if he wasn't afraid to freak her out entirely. Maybe now wasn't the best time, especially if he needed to explain his - _ahem _\- attachment.

'What do you need?' The love of his life demanded.

'Hide me?' he mewled. Anywhere, as long as it was near her would be a good place. And maybe he'd find the courage to explain what was happening. And maybe the amazing Marinette would figure something out.

His request was all she needed. Marinette firmly grasped his hand and dragged him into one of the classrooms. She opened a window and nimbly climbed upon the windowsill.

'Wait!' he cried as he understood what she was about to do.

Too late. Marinette already jumped. She landed gracefully on the pavement, surprising a few pedestrians.

'Do you need help?' she asked, opening her arms. 'I can catch you', she added with a smirk.

He almost faceplanted on the concrete right there and then. Those opened arms were too much to resist. His body shot out of the window without a second thought. Thankfully his cat senses, honed by the months of moonlighting as Chat Noir, took over preventing him from ending as a toothless puddle at her feet. What started off as a despaired leap ended in a rather elegant crunch.

'Nice,' Marinette nodded appreciatively. 'Now come, I need to fill you with macarons and you need to tell me what's troubling you.'

Without further ado she grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the nearest archway. He quickly caught onto her plan to head to the bakery from the park's side. His fingers tickled at her touch, a pleasant warmth spreading through his limbs. And for a moment he thought he didn't mind the pull. He'd follow her for as long as she'd have him.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for your support to this story – for the reviews, favs and follows. They make me want to write more. Please, tell me what you think about this update as well. _

_A great big thank you to Remasa, who beta read this chapter and saved me from a few quite embarrassing mistakes. Check out her story "A Host Unto His Own", I believe the last chapter should be posted soon!_


	5. Clumsy

**5\. Clumsy**

_**In which Adrien gets a grip**_

Crowds tended to drift towards many types of people. Sometimes it was the beauty, fame or wealth, that lured them in, like in Chloe's or Adrien's case. Sometimes it took pretty lies, as Lila proved time after time. For Ladybug it was her bravery and quick thinking that attracted the fans. But Marinette had her own kind of magnet magic at her command. It was her warm, bubbly personality that drew people in. It was her heart and kindness that made them stay. It was her wits they admired, too.

Adrien would be the first to admit that Marinette was a people's magnet. Even if he wasn't currently tethered to her by a mysterious force of unknown origin. Right now, however, he was once again experiencing the effects of the girl being a literal magnet to him.

The love of his life told him to wait on a landing while she went to check if the coast was clear. Upon leaving, she muttered something about insufferably nosy and eager parents. And Adrien waited as per instructions, even if the force pulling him in the direction of the Dupain-Chengs' apartment intensified by the second. He briefly wondered how fast would he be dragged up the stairs if he let go of the railing. The wood and iron creaked and groaned from the effort to keep him in place.

Adrien strengthened his grip on the railing and checked if he was alone.

'Plagg,' he hissed. 'Plagg!'

'Whaaaah?' The lazy yawn came from under his overshirt.

'You know magic, right?'

One green eye popped open and stared at him blankly.

'I _am_ magic,' the sprite finally said.

Adrien decided to ignore his kwami's mocking tone. 'The thing that's happening to me now, is it magic?'

'And what's happening to you?' Plagg's head emerged from under the shirt. 'I mean apart from melting a perfectly good cheese. Thanks, by the way,' he added gravely, 'that was my whole lunch.'

'Can you just stop thinking with your stomach for a second and actually try to be helpful?'

'Fiiiiine,' the little cat rolled his eyes. 'How can I help you?'

'What is happening to me?' Adrien blurted out. 'I can't stop thinking about Marinette, I get all sweaty when I'm near her and I really can't keep away from her.'

'Ah,_ l'amour_!' the kwami fluttered his lashes with a pout.

'Not funny,' Adrien prodded Plagg's round belly. Which meant he removed his hand from its place at the banister. His body shot up the stairs. Once again he was being dragged towards Marinette, or rather Marinette's door. For a second he was afraid he would leave an Adrien-shaped hole it in on his way to the lady of his heart, but Marinette chose that exact moment to open it and ran out to fetch him.

Only she was expecting to find him on the landing, not near the top of the stairs and speeding up. In a desperate attempt to avoid a terrible crash Adrien tried to stumble by hooking his right foot on a stair, but Marinette was already reaching out to catch him. His momentum was too high, there was no way she'd be able to stop his fall. And he'd take her with him. At that his cat instinct kicked in. Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette, trying not to think about her muffled squeak, nor about the heat tide that rushed over his body at the contact. Using the foothold he still had he pushed to flip their position. For a split second Marinette's lips pressed into his cheek as he put his hand over her head to protect it at the moment of impact. The sensation sent his brain past the sizzling point. The move took less than a second, but for him it stretched to infinity as her touch burned within him.

He landed on his back, doing his best to suppress the accompanying grunt. Marinette was sprawled over him, her pigtail in his face.

'You okay?' he whispered. His nostrils were full of her scent again making him high with giddiness and infatuation.

'Fine,' she muttered into his neck. 'You can let me go now, thank you,' she added and only then he realized he never released his protective grip but held her as close as he could.

As soon as he loosened his hold Marinette scrambled to her feet. 'Are _you_ okay?' she asked. 'I'm quite used to stumbling, but you just pulled a circus trick without a safety net.'

She offered him a hand. Millions of sparkles tickled his skin when he grabbed it and let her pull him up. She was surprisingly strong for such a short and lean girl.

'I'm okay,' he assured her with a smile. Even if he knew his back would be sore for a few days. He couldn't pull a stunt like that out of his suit without suffering through consequences.

Marinette didn't seem convinced, either. She saw right through him. 'Come on. We have some cold packs in the fridge for my own epic falls. I'm sure it won't hurt to put some ice on your back.'

'Thank you,' he murmured as he let her lead the way.

He noted with satisfaction that her blush returned to the freckled cheeks. And somehow neither of them remembered to let go of the other's hand.

* * *

_Author's Note: Initially I was planning to post this tomorrow, but your reactions to the last update swept me off my feet. So here I am celebrating with a new chapter. Thank you so much!_

_And I want to thank my wonderful and patient beta – Remasa, who listens to my rants about this story, and always has the best ideas how to make it better or how to unblock it at places. Make sure to read the final chapter of her fic "A Host Unto His Own", especially if you're fans of redemption arcs._

_Next time on Spring Fever: Secrets._


	6. Secrets

**6\. Secrets**

_**In which Adrien gets to grips**_

Once again Adrien was asked to wait, this time in Marinette's room, as his hostess returned downstairs for the ice pack and the promised macarons. The pull appeared as soon as the trap door closed behind her, pressing him firmly to the floor and demanding he moved from place to place, undoubtedly following Marinette's path around her apartment. He was lucky the kitchen was directly below her room or things would get really difficult for him.

He looked around. The cat in him wondered, how many secrets were waiting for a curious kitty to be uncovered. The chest under the window caught his eye. He was tempted to snoop around. After all he was alone in here for the first time. Well, almost alone. And he had one very _pressing_ secret to learn.

'Talk to me, Plagg,' he whispered.

Plagg peeked from under his shirt inspecting their surroundings with surprising scrutiny. 'I'm not really sure it's relevant,' he finally said.

'Are you kidding me right now!?' Adrien hissed. '"Not relevant", he says. When I literally can't stand up from the floor. What if there's an akuma attack?'

Something between amusement and mischief flashed in Plagg's eyes, before he settled on the boy's knee.

'I'm not sure you want to know, kid. It's a bit…'

'What?'

'Embarrassing?' the sprite offered.

Adrien sent him an disbelieving look. 'You mean more embarrassing than what I have already gone through?'

'Weeeeell…'

'Spill.'

'Fine. But you asked for it,' the little cat waved a warning paw at him. 'You've caught spring fever.'

'Like an allergy?' Adrien scrunched his nose. As far as he knew he was only allergic to feathers, never to pollen or grass. But maybe one could develop those later?

Plagg just rolled his eyes. 'No, like a magical infection.'

Uh-oh. Adrien didn't like the sound of that. 'And what does it do?'

'It makes you find a… mate.'

'A mate?' Adrien repeated flatly.

'Soulmate. Loved one. Whatever,' the little cat shrugged.

'Plagg, don't be ridiculous. You know I love Ladybug.'

'Eeeeeeee… really now?' the sprite arched his brow.

As if Adrien hadn't given him enough reasons to believe it. 'You know I do.'

The kwami rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh. 'No. _You_ know you were in love with Ladybug, but how do you feel about her now?'

The boy considered this. The place that Ladybug occupied in his heart was now filled with spring blossoms, earthy soil, pearly laughter and the buttery scent of the bakery. What once was a Ladybug-shaped space, was now all Marinette. He'd been trying to put a finger on it for the better part of the last two hours, but somehow it slipped his mind as soon as he grasped the edge. Up until Plagg spelled it out for him. And yet it still didn't feel _wrong_. There was nothing worrying about it. His heart was an oasis of calm, confident in it's choice to redecorate and replace the Ladybug shrine with a new one.

'H-how? Why?' he stuttered.

'Sometimes the miraculous gets stuck like that,' the black sprite shrugged again. 'It tries to push you to find a mate, because humans apparently work better when properly motivated and pampered. And who's better at that than a loved one?'

Adrien blinked. So the miraculous magic was responsible. He could believe it. He'd seen what it was capable of many, many times. But it didn't mean he liked to be on the receiving end.

'And Ladybug?' He asked weakly. 'Is she affected in any way?'

'She powers up to balance you. It makes her stronger, faster, more perceptive, not to mention her scent draws-'

But Adrien was no longer listening. 'This can't be happening,' he groaned. 'I don't mind loving Marinette. She's a wonderful girl, but I can't be tied to her forever! I guess I can get used to the flashes of fever when she looks at me or touches me, but I need to get home sometimes! I need to fight the occasional akuma!' He tugged at his hair. 'I can't take her with me and ask her to just keep her eyes closed just because I have a secret!'

Plagg cleared his throat.

The boy turned to him. 'You know a way, right? There is a cure?'

The familiar shit-eating grin crawled onto the kwami's face. 'As it happens, yes, there is one. Otherwise spring fever would automatically entail getting rid of a perfectly good holder. And they don't come by easily, let me tell you.'

'Then what?' Adrien interrupted, knowing perfectly well Plagg could rant about anything until the next day and some. 'What is it?'

'Oh, you're gonna love it, kid!' the little cat curled his whiskers in excitement.

'Something tells me I very much won't,' the boy muttered under his breath.

'In order to cure the spring fever,' Plagg recited, 'you need to unite with the object of your affection.'

There was a sound between a whimper and a choke and Adrien realized it came from him.

His kwami actually had the audacity to cackle. 'Hold your horses, boy,' the sprite snickered. 'A simple kiss will do.'

'A kiss?' Adrien didn't know if he should feel relieved or mortified. 'I need to k-kiss Marinette?

'Technically she needs to kiss you. Voluntarily.'

The boy froze, still in shock, while his imagination ran wild and unattended. The ideas it brought back… The gentleman in him tried to reign the galloping thoughts, but it was as effective as herding cats. He _wanted_ to kiss Marinette. Very, very much. He wanted to cuddle, snuggle, nuzzle and smooch. He wanted to belong to her, and her only. And he wanted to call her _his_. Was this him, or the fever talking? Suddenly the heat struck again, enveloping his body in a thin layer of sweat. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

'Oh, come on kid. This isn't so bad,' Plagg reasoned, unaware of the boy's internal struggle. 'If there's anyone who would agree to do this, it would be her. Good luck, lover boy!'

'What do you mean "good luck"?!' Adrien finally found his voice.

But Plagg already zipped away into hiding. A second later the love of his life appeared at the trap door, balancing a tray with sweets, an ice pack and a jug of orange juice in her hands. Her lips stretched in a beamy smile.

Her gorgeous lips, pink like magnolia petals and probably as soft and dewy.

Adrien gulped. Yup. He was so, so screwed.

* * *

_Author's Note: I want to thank you all for the reviews, follows and favs. I am simply speechless with the reactions this story is getting here, on AO3 and on tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com ). Know that you make me want to write more. So here's another update, although probably the last of the daily ones for a while. _

_Thank you Remasa for beta-reading this chapter, and for all your suggestions and ideas how to make it better!_


	7. A favor only you can do

**7\. A favor only you can do**

_In which Adrien makes a show_

The macarons were a blessing. Not only were they delicious as ever, and nicely fit in his stomach, they also delivered a suitable excuse to postpone the inevitable. But in the end even Marinette's patience started running thin. Besides, Dupain-Cheng macarons never lasted long in his vicinity.

'Can you tell me what's happening?' the love of his life asked, putting a hand on his knee. Her blue eyes bored into him, looking for any clues to his behavior.

Adrien would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the attention. He swallowed the last treat and chased it with some juice. Then he took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was about to come.

'Marinette, do you… um… believe in magic?'

'No,' she snorted as his heart sank. But then ever so perceptive she noticed his scoff, so she added quickly. 'I don't believe in magic, I _know_ it exists, silly. What better proof do you need than those akumas out there, not to mention Ladybug and Chat Noir prancing around in magical suits?'

_Right_. He tried not to look offended. He should have started with that. And he probably shouldn't reveal that he was one of those people dressed in magic. Easy.

'How about… magical curses or diseases?'

She raised a brow. 'Are you telling me you've been cursed?'

Adrien hung his head. 'I knew you'd think I'm crazy.'

'I didn't say that! Hey!' She moved closer and tilted her head to look him in the eyes. 'Whatever it is, I'm here to listen. No judging, I promise.'

Suddenly an idea struck him. What better way to explain than to let her see with her own eyes?

'Let me show you,' he said walking to her desk. She stayed on the chaise and he already had to fight the pull to separate from her.

'What?'

'Just watch.' Adrien gripped the edge of the desk and sat on her desk chair with legs crossed over the seat. Then, he let go of the desk and put his hands on his knees.

The chair rolled closer to her, but she didn't react in any way, just waited and watched politely as she was asked. It wasn't the effect Adrien was aiming for. Hmmm, maybe she thought he just pushed away from the desk?

'Can you go to the other end of your room?' he asked.

Marinette's brow furrowed as she stood up and did as she was told. She jumped when the chair followed. She changed direction and observed as Adrien rolled after her without moving a finger.

He expected many things but an outburst of giggles was not one of them. Marinette circled the room, barely keeping a straight face, and then she started to slalom over the floor with the chair at her heels, not even trying to hide her amusement. Then she proceeded to walk around him making him pirouette in a small spiral.

'That's an _amazing_ curse,' she finally collapsed on the chaise.

Adrien sat on the other end. 'Sure, if one wants to be considered a creep.'

'And here I thought I was just a boy magnet,' she gasped in mock hurt. 'Anything else?'

'You mean besides the fact that I can't move more than four steps away from you?'

Marinette looked between them as if assessing the distance. Then she moved closer, as if he was the magnet this time.

'I'm sorry. You'd rather be bound to someone else?' she asked.

'What?! No!' he protested, frantically waving his hands. 'That's not- I'm not.. I- '

'I was only trying to lighten the mood,' Marinette nudged him with her elbow. 'I'm sure you'd rather not be tied to anyone at all. It must be awkward.'

Strangely, it wasn't. But only because she was so accepting and understanding even before she knew what the problem was. Well, the most pressing part of the problem. He had yet to reveal the true nature of his predicament and the cure.

Marinette seemed to have caught on that quite quickly. 'You mentioned a disease. Are you feeling sick?'

Sick? Hell, no. He never felt better. His heart was beating happily in his chest, finally close to the object of his affection. His stomach was full of delicious macarons. And now that Marinette stopped moving he could finally relax. Earlier however...

'There's… um… there's an occasional heat wave that makes me… um… sweat?'

After all the cheese smell was an accident that had occured only because of his second gig as a vigilante.

'And it may be just the fever, but I find it difficult to focus,' he whispered. Apparently he spoke with half-truths now. 'As if my mind was filled with pink fog all the time.'

'Pink fog?' Marinette echoed. She was listening intently, leaning in to hear him better.

Adrien didn't notice when he moved a little bit closer to the middle of the chaise, and to her too. Their arms brushed against each other sending goosebumps all over his skin for a hundredth time that day. He was starting to get dizzy from how close she was right now.

He nodded. 'It's… um… it makes it harder to gather my… um… thoughts.'

'And this happened today?' Marinette didn't mind that now their thighs touched as well. She was nodding encouragingly, letting him explain the whole ordeal.

'On the trip,' he admitted.

'So it wasn't the sun, huh?' She tilted her head to see him more clear now, that he was so close. Her eyes never left his face.

'N-nope,' he gulped at the sight of her cheeks dusted with rosy blush. He could count every freckle that nested there.

'And you're not akumatized?' She raised a suspicious brow. 'You don't look like an akuma.'

'Why? Are you an expert on akumas?' Banter was a welcomed distraction from what he had to say, so he'd take it.

She moved even closer. Her lips quirked in a sly smirk. 'And if I am?'

'Then you're welcome to check if I'm akumatized,' he shot back.

Marinette tapped a finger against her lower lip. The gesture made him flush in an instant. She withdrew to asses him.

'Despite all the ridiculous supervillains Paris had witnessed, I seriously doubt Hawkmoth would give anyone the power of profuse sweating,' she chuckled. 'Although… you do seem to have a power of a sort, but you do not control it,' she pointed out.

'By this logic I could accuse you of being akumatized,' Adrien countered. 'Between you and me you're the magnet.'

Marinette sent him a lopsided grin. 'So I have superpowers?'

She most certainly did. At least over him. And when she fluttered her lashes like that, his heart fluttered for her.

'Maybe…' he breathed and then remembered himself. 'Maybe you're the key to this mystery. I think… I think this is something only you can do.'

'Me?' Suddenly she was not so confident. 'You need me?'

'Yes. You're so smart and thoughtful,' he ducked his head.

Marinette once again leaned in his direction, as if she didn't want to miss a single word of what he was saying. His gaze wandered to her lips.

'Since you're the person I'm… um… I'm… tethered to,' he gulped, 'I think you might be in possession of a… a… cure.'

Their hands rested between them, Adrien's little finger brushed over hers. She didn't withdraw her hand, watching him intently. He licked his lips. Just like earlier in the classroom the air between them crackled with static electricity. Adrien felt the hair on the back of his neck rising. Her gaze was drawing him in, hypnotising him. Now that he knew what he needed, what he longed for, it was even harder to resist the pull.

'A cure,' her gorgeous magnolia pink lips echoed. She tilted her head and now he could only see her deep, blue eyes, framed by the thick brackets of lashes, and her perfect lips slightly parted in invitation.

She was so close, he could feel her breath on his face. Just a few centimeters and he could erase the space between them, capturing her lips and revoking the fever. And she didn't shy away, even when he lowered his head bringing their foreheads an inch apart. A small breath escaped her as her eyes fluttered shut and the dazzling lips puckered in a silent call.

There she was, waiting for him to make the move, allowing for this moment of intimacy, trusting and… oblivious to his intentions. She had no idea she'd be removing the curse from him. He claimed to love that girl, more than life, and yet here he was, trying to trick her into kissing him.

He couldn't. He wouldn't use her like that. But before he could say anything, there was a groan of metal, as if an old spring gave up, and the lid of the large chest by the window sprang open. Startled, Marinette bumped into him and then fell down to the floor.

* * *

_Author's Note: Let me just tell you how happy I am that you like this story so much. Thank you for your wonderful reviews, for favs and follows. Please, let me know what you think of this update._

_I owe Remasa big time for all her help with this chapter. Writing doesn't always come easy, so I greatly appreciate that I can count on her opinions and suggestions. Thank you!_

_If you want to, you can come bother me on tumblr: perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com . I post this story, as well as occasional art, and a lot of miraculous stuff._


	8. A birthday gift

**8\. Birthday gifts**

_In which Adrien gets a part_

'I… you..gah!' Marinette flailed scrambling to her feet. Out of the corner of his eyes Adrien saw a red flash inside the chest. It looked like a cute plushie, with big blue eyes and a black spot on the top of the bulbous head. Its shape reminded him a bit of Plagg, but he couldn't be sure, since Marinette closed the lid with an angry thump. Then she turned around and sank onto the chest where she released a ragged breath.

'That's just my… um… my old chest, haha,' she kicked the box with her heel. 'Phew, I almost jumped right of my skin,' she sighed. She brushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ears, casting him an anxious glance. Her skin paled, making the redness of her cheeks more pronounced. Was she… embarrassed?

Oh god, she was! He made a fool of himself by trying to kiss her out of the blue and now she'd hate him forever! Trying to stomp down on his disappointment that he hadn't get to taste those soft, enticing lips Adrien moved as far away from the girl as the invisible tether allowed. He had no idea how he would get that curing kiss now. He'd rather die than mention in after what just had transpired between them.

'Good thing you weren't near it,' he pointed out, deciding to divert her attention. 'That's an accident ready to happen. You need to replace that spring.'

'Yeah,' Marinette muttered. 'Though I was hoping on having a word with it first. Doesn't matter,' she shook her head. 'You mentioned a cure to your… um… state.'

Ah, so much for diversion. Adrien felt all his courage retreating under the sheer force of shame at what he had attempted.

'Y-yes, a cure,' he nodded, desperately trying to think of a way out. 'I just thought that… I thought… since you're the one I'm bound to, maybe you can think of a way to… um… free me?'

'To free you…' Marinette hummed. She stood up and started pacing around the room.

The chaise Adrien was seated on jolted under him and with a screech it started moving after the girl.

'Um…' he said. 'Marinette?'

She halted and turned to see him. He planted his feet firmly on the floor and wedged his hands under the sofa in an attempt not to chase after her.

'Sorry! I forgot!'

'It's okay,' he waved a hand, and the chaise budged a bit. 'But you see my most pressing problem now. I need to go home at some point. Everyone at the mansion is probably already freaking out.'

As if on cue his phone chimed angrily. Marinette backed away, startled by the sound. The chaise jerked after her. Adrien doubled his efforts to stay in place. 'I'm not gonna answer that now,' he grunted. Who needs a gym if they can have a nice work-out trying not to get too close to the love of their lives?

The girl just stood there, on the other side of the room, her gaze shifting between him and the chest. Then something flashed in her eyes, something strikingly familiar, although Adrien couldn't recall why.

'So… you think you've been enchanted…' she was thinking out loud.

'Not enchanted. Infected,' he corrected.

Marinette sent him a long, flat stare. He realized what he just said.

'Enchanted is a way of putting it, too!' he chirped.

A shadow of smirk danced on her lips. 'And you believe I can help you?'

He nodded eagerly. At that point he would believe if she told him toys could fly. Because the red plushie was now sitting innocently on the desk, when just a few moments ago it definitely was inside the chest. But maybe Marinette just made more of them?

The girl's smile turned sly at his silent confirmation. 'Then I have something that should let you get home or wherever you need to be right now. It should be enough until we figure out how to free you entirely.'

Adrien perked up. 'Really?'

She crossed the room and carefully opened the chest. When she turned to him, she was holding a small pack, about the size of a CD box, wrapped in pink polka dotted paper and tied with a dark pink ribbon. It looked very much like a gift.

'Here,' she passed him the package. 'Happy birthday,' she murmured.

'That's in, like, six months,' he remembered, tenderly brushing the ribbon with his thumbs. He had no idea why, but just holding this package made his heart swell.

'I know,' Marinette said timidly. 'I wanted to be prepared.'

Adrien untied the ribbon and reverently put it aside. Then he slowly unwrapped the paper. There was a birthday card at the top, bearing Marinette's curly handwriting and a signature next to a doodle of a cake with a little ladybug sitting on in. He smiled at that and put the card away as well. Then he finally inspected the contents.

'Oh, wow, just… wow,' he gasped.

He simply couldn't take his eyes off of her gift. His fingers ran over the soft, baby blue cotton and traced the stylish embroidery. He had seen similar items in his father's drawer many times. Old-fashioned and cherished. Nowadays deemed impractical, but still beautiful. Simple, classy and personal. The handkerchief that he was holding bore a monogram of curvy "AA". A second little ladybug accompanied the letters, seemingly flying over the material as if it was the summer sky. Her path had been marked with red stitching.

'I don't know what to say,' he finally whispered. 'This is absolutely stunning, Marinette! I love-... it! I love it!'

His voice quivered and he felt moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes. It was simply the most amazing thing anyone had given him. And it was clearly crafted by her own hand, as evidenced in the characteristic "M" skillfully hidden on the other side of the handkerchief, embroidered in blue, glossy thread.

She beamed at him from the window. A rosy hue tinted her cheeks. 'This is something I've made for you and you only,' she said. 'I'd like to believe there's a part of me in this gift.'

He couldn't help but to smile as he held the handkerchief. The most precious gift. A part of _her_. For _him_.

'When you take this with you,' Marinette continued, 'it's as if you took a part of me.'

His eyes lit up in comprehension. 'Brilliant,' he murmured, still gently brushing the material. 'Simply brilliant.'

A wave of affection washed over him, pouring warmth into his limbs. He would have pulled her into a hug if he wasn't afraid he would never let go. What had he done to deserve this girl in his life? Was there an end to her kindness?

'Why are you looking at me like that?' Marinette asked.

'Like what?' Uh-oh, was he staring? He wanted to savor the view of the love of his life as she smiled happy and bright. Was he making her uncomfortable?

She shrugged. 'Like I was some kind of hero or something.'

"Or something"? Adrien felt the sudden urge to show her how important, how dear she was to him. She should know how special, how talented, how amazing she was.

'I already told you, you are. Marinette, I… ' he hesitated, not sure where his heart was leading him. It might be the fever talking, but the real Marinette was listening.

'Yes?'

'You are an amazing person, and I really l- like…' he shook his head. He almost slipped. 'I _admire _you.' He cast her an anxious look. Could she hear the frantic beating of his heart?

She was keeping her distance now, fidgeting in place and nervously nibbling on her lower lip. The moment of silence suddenly seemed awkward and poignant at the same time. It was Marinette who spoke first.

'Adrien,' she breathed slowly. 'I l-... I like you too!' she stuttered. 'I'm glad you're my friend and that you came to me. Even if you didn't have a choice,' she chuckled.

'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else anyway,' he smiled ducking his head, happy and disappointed at the same time. If she told him she liked him yesterday, he'd be over the moon, but today the "friend" that followed was like a painful jab, a reminder where his place was.

A phone rang in his pocket. 'Well, that's my cue. Thanks for the wonderful talisman,' he pressed the handkerchief to his chest, resisting the urge to plant a kiss on the soft material. He was never going to put it away, and not just because he'd be pulled straight to Marinette back again.

The girl crossed her fingers. 'I hope the handkerchief works.'

'It's your idea. Of course it will work. See?' he added taking a few steps away and down the stairs.

Nothing happened. No magical pull. No heat wave. Ah, freedom. Relative, but still.

'I hope you won't get into trouble,' Marinette called after him.

'Me, too. But oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now,' he shrugged. 'At least I can go home thanks to you. Imagine how awkward it would be to explain to our parents why I need to move to your room,' he added as a way of good bye.

As the door closed behind him he heard something that sounded like, "Oh, I wouldn't mind that at all". And just like that, the sweat and blush were back.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for your support to this story so far. For your wonderful reviews, favs and follows. They let me know it's worth to continue. Please let me know, what you think of this update!_

_And many, many thanks to Remasa, my amazing beta, who helped me to shape this story into something much better._


	9. Good luck

**9\. Good luck**

_**In which Adrien is sneaky**_

Adrien took a deep breath and waited for his head to stop spinning. The pull didn't come back, it didn't press him into the Dupain-Chengs' door demanding his return to the love of his life. He was free. Though now that he could really go home his stomach twisted into a tight knot. He didn't want to leave. He'd rather stay here, even on this doormat if it meant he could be closer to _her_. But that would only get him into more trouble.

He heard Plagg phasing into his messenger bag and the sound sobered him up. A part of Marinette was still within his reach. The tether didn't disappear, it only got reattached to something else. Something that could substitute for the object of his affection for a little while.

Now Adrien dared to sniff the gift, something he had been tempted to do since he got it. The heavenly scents of spring blossom and love filled his nostrils. This was truly her essence, as his nose helpfully informed him. When he closed his eyes it was as if Marinette was next to him. He reverently folded the handkerchief and put it in his overshirt's pocket, right over his heart. It might have been just his imagination, but he felt a faint tinkling every time he touched the baby blue cotton. Armed with his own talisman he sneaked out onto the street and rounded the bakery.

The limousine was still parked in front of the school. His bodyguard was pacing nervously from one end of the stairs to the other. He peeked at his phone from time to time and grumbled under his breath. Each time someone appeared at the school's entrance he whipped his head to them and gave them a disgruntled look.

Adrien felt a pang of guilt. He could have texted his bodyguard instead of just ditching him, but he had been too busy melting into a puddle of goo in Marinette's presence. The desire to be close to her was still there, but it subsided to manageable levels. The pink fog kept floating through his mind but now it reached only to his metaphorical knees while before he'd been wandering helpless and blind through pink haze.

He patted the pocket with Marinette's gift. Coupled with the bracelet she had given him, it made for a set of lucky charms. And right now Adrien felt high on good luck. Nothing bad could happen to him when he had talismans like these.

He waited for the bodyguard to face away from the bakery and then tiptoed to the car. He slipped into the back seat, a picture of pure innocence. Gorilla was still pacing up and down the street so Adrien, emboldened by his first bout of luck reached out and honked the horn. The bodyguard jumped and marched down to the limo. He narrowed his eyes at Adrien, and then shifted his gaze to the school's entrance. Grumbling, he got back to the car. He didn't say a word for the whole drive to the mansion.

Nathalie, on the other hand, had plenty of words to say, although Adrien got the impression that she kept biting her tongue so as to stay professional. She managed to make Adrien feel properly ashamed for going AWOL on them, before explaining how incredibly lucky he was that his classes scheduled for the afternoon had been cancelled and that his father was kept busy by a conference call, or Adrien would be in even more trouble.

But he wasn't, and the longer he thought about it, the more sure he was that this was somehow connected to his newest lucky charm. Nathalie handed him the plan for next morning's photoshoot and bid him goodbye.

'How do you feel, kid?' Plagg asked with unexpected concern as soon as they were alone in Adrien's room.

'Good,' the boy said. 'Really, really gooooood,' he exhaled dropping to his bed with arms wide open. Then he took out the hankie and put it on his face.

'That's what I was afraid of,' the kwami muttered. He flew to Adrien and raised one corner of the material.

His charge greeted him with a dopey smile, one that appears when you have your nose full of the scent of your loved one.

'You need to get that kiss,' the little cat insisted. 'ASAP.'

'Plagg, Plagg, Plaaaagggggggg,' the boy droned. 'I couldn't just kiss her right out of the blue. Spring fever or not, that's not what people do.'

'She's not just anybody, kid. She's your mate. And if you think today was bad, you have no idea what might happen if you keep resisting.'

Adrien shrugged. He was on his way to cloud nine again and Plagg was ruining his buzz. 'Marinette is one of my closest friends,' he evaded. 'I can't just kiss her as I please.'

'I bet you'd want to,' the sprite wiggled his brows.

The boy was thankful for the handkerchief covering his face, because just a flash of recollection how close he got to kissing Marinette, and how everything in him screamed to do it again sent him into another heat shock, starting with the generous blush on his cheeks.

'You know I want to,' Adrien drawled. 'But that's just the fever's doing.'

'Eeeeeeee… really now?'

'What are you getting at?'

'Nothing,' the cat said innocently. 'Apparently you know better how spring fever works. Besides it's not like you had used every occasion to touch her, compliment her, spend time with her or ask her to dance with you before you got sick, right? It's not like you spent hours making a birthday gift for her, nor did you wish her happy birthday on both sides of your mask.'

'What?'

'Spring fever doesn't make you find a random person and then tell you to love them.'

'No?'

'The magic only works with what's already there,' Plagg pointed out. 'Oh, for the love of brie, just take that thing off your face! That's pure lu- you shouldn't be breathing _that_!' he scolded his charge grabbing the handkerchief and stuffing it into Adrien's pocket. Then he shook his head at the dumbfounded boy he found underneath the blue cotton and flew to fill himself with cheese.

Adrien discovered he could think clearer now that Marinette's scent was removed from the close proximity of his nose. He considered Plagg's words and realized he couldn't argue with the kwami, because his heart and his mind had been singing odes to Marinette in an extremely sappy duet. Technically he knew he had loved Ladybug once, but he couldn't even recall the feeling now. If he focused hard enough he could be logical about it, but that was an almost Herculean effort.

'What will happen when we kiss?'

'The fever will be gone and you'll be free of any side effects,' came the reply.

'So… I will get my feelings for Ladybug back?'

'How would I know?' Plagg shrugged.

Adrien drew a sharp breath. The problem, as he finally pinpointed it, was the nature of the fever. So far he didn't question his feelings for Marinette, he simply followed them, especially since the pull left him no choice in the matter. Loving Marinette came as easily as breathing. It felt more real than life itself. But when he concentrated really hard he understood that this must have been the consequence of the fever. That was the cause of his current state.

If Plagg was right, then Marinette as his good friend would undoubtedly agree to kiss him to lift the curse. And he would stop loving her and go back to being friends. No harm done. Then why was he so reluctant to tell her the whole truth about his predicament? Why had he hesitated before kissing her? Was it just because he was her friend and friends do not kiss other friends like _that_. At least not outside of cheesy FWB rom-coms.

He mulled over this again and again until his head hurt. If the rumors had been true, he once got saved from an evil curse by a kiss. Ladybug's kiss.

'Do you think... if I loved Ladybug before the fever, doesn't it mean...' Adrien tried to shape the thought that was escaping him. Loving anyone aside from Marinette was unfathomable at the moment. 'Shouldn't it mean Ladybug's kiss would be the cure? She was my true love after all.'

'Really?' the sprite grumbled under his breath. 'Even in the fever he's _still _in denial.'

'Look. Marinette's idea with the hankie is working. I am no longer tied to her. Maybe there's another solution for the cure as well?'

'You know what I think?' Plagg gritted his teeth. 'I think you're afraid to face your feelings. I think you're scared Marinette might not like you back.'

'Don't be ridiculous, Plagg. Marinette is my friend. Asking her to kiss me not only would be absolutely embarrassing but also inappropriate. Not to mention afterwards neither of us will have feelings for the other. It seems counterproductive and kind of cruel?'

'Listen now,' the kwami was breathing heavily. 'You need her help. This is going to get worse. So much worse that even 30 years worth of birthday gifts won't save you! This can't wait.'

'It will have to,' Adrien straightened up.

There was a supervillain on the other side of the large windows and he was currently hurling cars at the buildings. And crunched behind a chimney opposite from the mansion was Ladybug, assessing the situation.

'Come on, Plagg,' the boy called, clutching the handkerchief close to his chest. 'We've got work to do. Claws out!'

* * *

_Author's Note: A very special thank you to Remasa, who is patiently listening to all my rants and comes up with the best ideas when I'm stuck! _

_Thank you all for your lovely reviews, favs and follows. It makes me happy to know you like this story! Please don't stop! Adrinette April ended, but this is not the end of this fic._

_Next on Spring Fever: Love Rivals. _


	10. Love rivals

**10\. Love rivals**

_**In which Adrien has questions**_

Battling an akuma with Marinette's hankie safety tucked in his pocket was a piece of cake. Thought Chat Noir tried very hard not to think about Dupain-Chengs' pastries nor their sweet daughter as he leaped from roof to roof, drawing the villain away from Ladybug who had a PlanTM. Astute as ever she seized the akumatized object in no time and send her swarms of ladybugs to repair the minor damage that another Hawkmoth's minion had inflicted upon the city.

Her eyes were brighter and he spied a fresh coat of blush right under the rim of her mask when he had caught up with her. There was spring in her step and Chat couldn't help but wonder how much _spring_ did she have to suffer through.

Trapped inside the suit, feverish Adrien felt unhinged. Yet he was determined to prove Plagg wrong.

'Hey, um, Bugaboo?' he called eyes trained on their fists still touching after the "Bien Joue". 'Can we have a word before you leave?'

Ladybug's hand shot up to her earrings. 'Four minutes?' she offered.

'I'll take it. Rooftop?' he pointed up. 'It's kind of personal.'

'Oh,' she blinked. He had never brought up a personal issue with her before, well, except for his inept love confessions. 'Sure. Whatever you need.'

She led the way to the nearest rooftop and chose a comfy place hidden between the chimneys. He watched her closely as he followed, trying to decide what exactly was he experiencing. Because for sure he wasn't indifferent towards his partner. There was this warm fuzzy feeling in his chest that until that day he had used to associate with Marinette's presence. He knew he would follow Ladybug to the end of the world if she told him. He admired her courage in the face of danger and her wits that allowed them to win so many battles. He would do anything she asked for and he'd trust her blindly as he had for months. She made him feel safe and welcome. But was that love?

Where was the frantic ba-dum-dum his heart used to make at mere sight of her? Where was the reckless need to show off, to flirt even a little bit, to goof around because she made him feel like everything was possible? Those memories left a lingering melancholy and a pinch of guilt. He couldn't decide if this made things easier or more difficult.

'So, um,' he stuttered, once they were out of public eye. 'Do you remember the "True Love's Kiss" that um… got rid of Dark Cupid's influence?'

Ladybug frowned. 'Yes?'

'Do you…' he started fiddling with his belt tail. 'Do you think it could cure other things?'

'Chat, we've got like three minutes,' she sighed. 'You might want to be more terse.'

Right. It was time to cut straight to the point.

'What would you say if I asked you to kiss me?'

She put a hand on her hip and grinned at him. 'I'd say you used to be much more inventive while trying to steal a kiss. Besides, we kissed twice already.'

'And I remember neither of those times,' he shot back. There was no rush of blood, no lightheaded sensation, no swelling in his chest at that and he found it scared him. The thought of kissing Ladybug suddenly didn't seem so appealing. 'But that's beside the point. Would you kiss me if I asked?'

'Chat, I told you, I don't like you in that way.'

Apparently the feeling was mutual. So was Plagg right again? Chat decided to take a risk. 'But the kiss - _true love's kiss _\- it worked, didn't it?'

Now she pursed her lips. 'There's more than one kind of love in this world, Chat. I'm sure you have people you really like, just not romantically. You'd do pretty much everything for those people and yet you are not interested in pursuing them romantically. Family. Friends.'

'What if it was the only thing that could like, cure me, free me from a curse or something?'

Ladybug sent him a sharp look. 'You've been cursed, too?' she muttered under her breath. 'I swear, curses are blooming everywhere this spring.'

He didn't have the time to properly consider the "too" that slipped into her comment, because her earrings gave a warning beep.

'And you need me to kiss you?' she asked, wincing at the sound.

A beat of silence. He looked to Ladybug, who worriedly stared back at him. The determined gleam in her eye told him she would do this. She would kiss him if need be, like she had in the past. But that wasn't what Plagg told him. That wasn't what his heart was prompting him to do.

'Chat?'

'To be honest,' he clenched his fists and dropped his gaze to his feet. 'I was told there's someone else who I need to kiss.'

'And?'

'I don't know!' he groaned. 'How do you even go about this sort of thing?' He made a face and sing-sung in a falsetto voice. '"Hi, I have a problem and only a kiss from you can help me",' he mocked. 'Yeah, that does sound plausible and totally not like the lamest pick up line ever!' He scrunched his nose. 'I don't want to lose a friend,' he whispered.

'Do you really mean it?' Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder. 'That you need a kiss? From a specific person?'

'Yes. That's what my kwami said.'

'Then just be honest with them.' She tilted her head to look him in the eye. 'Is it someone you know? Someone you're close to? You mentioned you don't want to lose a friend.'

He nodded. He didn't want to go into details that could lead to revealing his identity or to connecting him to Marinette. Ladybug knew her, too. It would be too risky.

Her lips stretched in a compassionate smile. 'I think you don't give your friend enough credit, Chat. You are one of my favorite people even if I know you only on this side of the mask. There's no reason to think it's different for a friend of yours.' She gave him an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder. 'If it was me, I'd do it. I _have _done it, Chat.'

She was right. Of course his Lady, even if no longer the lady of his heart, would smack some sense into his poor confused brain.

'Thank you,' he murmured putting his hand over hers.

And then he felt it. A surge of power, of pure luck coursing through her and running into him, filling him with strength and courage, feeding him the energy to achieve the impossible. He removed his hand and the sensation subsided. He looked at her in astonishment.

The one dot before last blinked on her earrings and faded with a beep. 'I need to go now,' she paid him a short nod. 'If you need anything-'

'I know, Bugaboo,' he smiled at her. 'Thanks.'

* * *

_Author's Note: I will repeat myself, but thank you for all your support to this story – for the wonderful reviews, favs and follows. They are much appreciated._

_Now I forgot to point you to my tumblr blog, where I also post Spring Fever, and now there's art for it showing a peek into Marinette's POV, as some of you were curious about that. Spring Fever has been and will continue to be written solely from Adrien's perspective though. So check it out: perditaalottachocolate-blog. tumblr. com [slash] post [slash] 184534461518 [slash] people-keep-wondering-what-does-marinette-think-of_

_A big hug to my beta Remasa, who sadly is going through a difficult time, since part of her work had been plagiarised on AO3, and what's even more shocking to me, the user who had done it, instead of apologizing and admitting to a mistake, is throwing a pity party under their works, playing the victim, as if they weren't aware of what they had done. Of course they also started moderating comments once they had been caught so there's no chance of hearing the real version of the events. This is a very disturbing experience._

_Anyway all of you authors out there, search for fragments of your works occasionally. With so many stories chances are no one will spot a plagiarised work (or part of it) except you. And if you find something fishy, report! You can do that even if you're not the author of the plagiarised work._


	11. In the rain

_**11\. In the rain**_

_**In which Adrien has a wet dream**_

Soft hum of rain lulled him to sleep that night. There had been a storm earlier in the evening, splashing his windows with rain and flooding the room with strobing light. Adrien's head was heavy, overflowing with tentative thoughts. He felt the weight of Marinette's gift in the pocket of his pajama shirt as he slipped into slumber.

First thing he noticed was her presence. Adrien opened his eyes only to see Marinette in an absolutely stunning bun and a waitress outfit sitting next to him, watching the Ladybug and Chat Noir film. In the dim light of the screen her profile seemed carved in stone, a fresh coat of blush blooming on her cheeks. Their elbows were touching, the pleasing warmth radiating off her hand and pouring into him. He smiled at her.

'I love you,' he whispered. He blinked and the scene before his eyes shifted.

Now he was walking down the runway, proudly presenting Marinette's hat. She was there, too, in the audience, her smile radiant if a bit timid. So many eyes were trained on him at that moment, but he only cared for that pair of blue. He should have been looking ahead, but he caught her gaze and couldn't help but to hold it for a little bit longer, turning his head and keeping the contact until he got too far. A cat-like smirk curved his lips at her attention.

'I love you,' he mouthed, barely opening his mouth, and his surrounding changed again.

Now there was a sabre in his hand and he was launching himself at Marinette. She parried his hit and touched his chest a split second later. He pulled his mask off his face and opened his mouth to praise her reflexes, but it was another confession that spilled from his lips.

It happened over and over again. He wanted to compliment her gaming skills when they practiced for the Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament, yet all he could say was "I love you, Marinette". He fidgeted nervously in front of her, waiting for her to sign her name over a fresh new Jagged Stone album. He wanted to say how much he admired her creativity and passion but those weren't the words he spoke. Now he was running, his hand tightly gripping her small palm. Marinette pushed him into the fountain at the park and told him to keep his head low. The running footsteps that followed, passed them and faded away. The "thank you" he was about to say never made it past his lips. Neither did the knightmare pun he so desperately wanted to drop in front of Marinette after Darkblade, like a proud cat dropping a mouse in front of his owner. He was sure she'd appreciate a little show.

Adrien needed her appreciation. His heart hammered in his chest as he presented her with the bracelet he made for her birthday. Marinette's dazed smile was the best reward he could ask for. He remembered standing there, with the bracelet she had given him, gazing at the item affectionately. The spring wind carried his soft susurration of "I love you" into the night.

But then it was another evening and he watched Marinette on her balcony, sad and thoughtful. He lifted her in his arms, feeling her hands snake around his neck. He murmured sweet nothings into her soft hair, as he carried her over the rooftops.

She was the Ladybug to his Chat Noir in Clara's video. The memory of her hand in his brought the gentle tickling of excitement to his chest. Awkward and sweet and lovely, she gazed at him from under her long dark lashes. All he wanted to whisper into her ear at that moment was-

'I love you, Marinette,' he said into his microphone, hiding behind the bushes at the zoo. He waited, mortified, if Nino would repeat this line, but it never came.

Adrien thrashed between the sheets as his dreaming consciousness was dragged from one moment to another. That's just spring fever's doing, he thought. Marinette's just a friend, she's just a friend, he insisted and the dream picked up his mantra in a blink.

Now he was chasing after Marinette, leaving a nonplussed Kagami on the ice rink.

'You're supposed to be in love with Ladybug, and now you ditch Kagami to go after Marinette?' Plagg frowned at him.

'Me? Going after Marinette?' Adrien laughed. 'No, she's… she's…,' his throat dried .

Plagg's scowl morphed into Kagami's amused face as she asked, 'You like her a lot, huh?'

'Marinette?' he shrugged. 'Yeah, of course! She's a very good f- she's a-'

His gaze dropped to his feet and suddenly there's the heart-shaped valentine in his hands, bearing the writing so similar to Marinette's.

'No,' he shook his head. 'Marinette couldn't possibly be in love with me. She loves fashion. She's just a fr- agh,' he launched into a coughing fit, his own tongue betraying him for an upteenth time.

His hand clenched over the handkerchief on instinct. He brought it up to his nose, still enveloped in the dream.

A gentle touch of her hand on his face. Soft lips brushing his cheek.

'Thank you,' she whispered timidly, a sight so adorable he couldn't withhold the tender smile even if he tried.

'You're welcome, Marinette,' he replied. 'Wanna dance?'

Her hand was back in his as he didn't even wait for her reply just straight dragged her to the dance floor. A small smile adorned her lips, as he took the lead in their slow dance. She didn't protest when his hold, by Alya's meddling, turned more intimate and cuddly. Their dance didn't resemble a waltz anymore, but the gentle sway with her in his arms was everything he ever wanted. He closed his eyes in a bliss and breathed in the earthly scents of flowers, of spring, of love.

When he looked at her again they weren't in the ballroom anymore, but in class.

'I'm not scared of that monster, Officer Jones!' Marinette declared.

There was no fear in her eyes, but anxious anticipation. Something Adrien could relate to as his gaze dropped to her pink lips and he leaned in to seal them with a kiss. A kiss he wanted so desperately, nothing else existed in that moment.

He blinked at the clap of thunder. There was an umbrella in his outstretched hand. A spark leaped to it as Marinette's fingers brushed over his. Her hand clasped the handle. Her eyes, her gorgeous eyes bored into him, seeing right into his soul. He was so lost in them he didn't mind the rain pouring over him. He didn't mind the wet shirt clinging to his chest, enchanted by that blue gaze and the timid laughter that escaped her.

'First day of school and we already have two love birds,' Plagg teased, flying from under his shirt.

'Whatever,' Adrien shrugged, smiling at mere thought of the girl, who still stood on the stairs. 'She's just… ' he frowned. He had the words at the tip of his tongue. He tossed them in his mind for a moment, before deciding that yes, they fit perfectly. 'She's just the love of my life.'

A thunder rolled over the street. At another flash the sky broke over his head drowning him in rain.

'What the hell!?' Adrien yelled waking up.

Yes, it wasn't a dream, even if the storm kept rumbling behind his windows. He was dripping water to his sheets. His whole bed was drenched. And the god of destruction was floating over his head with a trash bin that had been recently relieved of its water cargo. Plagg's face was a mixture of self-satisfaction and concern.

'Text her,' the kwami threw a phone at him, not bothering to explain the surprise shower. 'Now. Tell her to come to the photoshoot,' he instructed.

Adrien blinked. He scowled at the flying cat, still panting after trying to catch his breath.

'You need that kiss,' the sprite drawled. 'You need it bad.'

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for all your support to this story so far. I don't have as much time as I'd like to so I can't say when the next update might happen. Please stay patient. I intend to finish this story._

_A big thank you goes to my wonderful beta – Remasa, who has helped me a lot with shaping this fic._


	12. Confession

**12\. Confession**

_**In which Adrien demonstrates how not to confess**_

Adrien knew Marinette arrived at the set before he saw her. And even if he misinterpreted the prickling sensation crawling all over his skin, the hint of a pull towards the entrance left no doubt that the object of his affection was near.

Plagg hadn't bothered with disclosing the mechanics behind spring fever, evading that it worked in mysterious ways and there was not enough camembert in Paris that would give him strength and patience required to explain it anyway.

The profuse sweat Adrien had been dealing with since the day before earned him a few complaints from the make-up artist. There was nothing Adrien could do about it, at least not until he'd get the curing kiss, yet the thought of approaching Marinette about it made his hands even more clammy. He tucked the handkerchief into his jacket, pretending it was pocket square matched to the outfit, despite it being a different shade of blue. He didn't want Marinette's scent, still lingering on the material, to be tainted with his odor. And as far as odors went, Adrien had learned his lesson, so Plagg's emergency food, which the kwami kept insisting to call "lunch", was sealed inside a zip-lock bag and put in another one for better measure. The containers rested in Adrien's bag next to an ice-pack, to prevent them from melting into Eau de Plagg. The sprite had complained, of course, but his heart wasn't in it.

Ever since the black cat had woken Adrien up from his fever induced dream, the boy was bracing himself for the inevitable confrontation with the love of his life. His stomach twisted into a tight knot and his head swam with possible speeches. He'd been rehearsing the words over and over again but they were almost all gone the moment Marinette walked through the entrance to the dressing area with Nathalie in tow.

It was as if suddenly a second sun appeared in the sky. The world became warmed, brighter, softer. A gentle breeze filled his nose with heady scents of magnolia, apple blossoms and earth. It mused the carefully styled hair on his forehead. It colored his cheeks peach under the foundation the make-up artist had applied. It sent his heart into a frenzy and poured fire into his veins.

He was so not ready to do this. He would never be.

Adrien felt a shallow bite of two needle-sharp teeth on his calf and he realized he'd been too wrapped up in daze to react in any way to Marinette's arrival, except for staring and drooling (just a little bit).

'H-hi!' he squeaked, about two octaves above his usual timbre. 'You're h-here!' he hiccupped eloquently.

'Should I not be?' Marinette sounded uncertain. She was fidgeting anxiously in her place. 'You texted me?' she reminded.

'Yeah-h! Of course you should be h-here!' Adrien cursed his twisted tongue. It had been functioning just fine until the love of his life manifested in this mortal domain. In four steps he was in front of Marinette and stopped himself at the last moment, before he would give her a welcome hug and a kiss.

_Boundaries_, Adrien scolded himself. It's a thing.

_What's wrong with an innocent bisou?_ The fever whispered into his ear.

The boy wanted to argue, that right now he didn't trust himself to do anything innocent in Marinette's presence, but the girl of his dreams smiled at him and all the remaining thoughts evaporated from his sizzling brain.

'So…,' Marinette brushed a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. 'How do you feel today?' She discreetly checked if Nathalie already left, but when she noticed his father's assistant still stood at the entrance, she wiggled her brows meaningly. 'I hope the gift worked well for you?'

'Yeah-h,' Adrien vigorously nodded. 'It worked like a ch-charm.' He turned to the woman behind his guest. 'Nathalie, can I… um… h-have a moment with Marinette alone, please?'

Miss Sancoeur cast him an even look. She clicked on her tablet. 'The photoshoot is scheduled to start in 5 minutes,' she informed him.

'S-sure! I'll be ready,' he promised.

The woman gave a nod of approval and left, leaving the two teens to themselves.

Heavy silence fell over the room. Marinette moved away from Adrien, closer to the racks of clothes he was supposed to be showcasing that morning. He knew she would be curious, but she didn't try to steal a peek nor shown interest in them, her attention solely on him.

Adrien took a deep breath. A breath that seemed to shorten the distance between them, as if he sucked up the air keeping them apart. _Keep away from her_, he reminded himself, _do not touch her if you want to keep a relatively level head. She's your drug now. Keep away. We're all friends here, we're professionals._

With that last thought he halted two steps away from her. His body screamed in big hot letters to close the distance, but he prevailed. For the sake of their friendship he still hoped to salvage. He willed his head to stop spinning, ignoring another wave of heat washing over him.

Here goes nothing.

'Marinette,' he murmured, 'I wasn't honest with you yesterday. I didn't tell you everything about the true nature of my predicament.'

'True nature?' she echoed. 'Is it dangerous?'

'No! Nothing of a sort,' he assured her, noticing she didn't ask if it was contagious, but only if it posed any danger. That line of thinking was something he was used to associating with Ladybug not with a civilian. Was there no end to all the ways Marinette would keep astonishing him? 'But I'm not sure how you're going to react and the last thing I'd want is to hurt you,' he said.

'Hurt me? I don't understand.' An adorable little wrinkle appeared between her brows. She tilted her head as she assessed him. Did she have to be so unbearably cute? Just like in his dream.

'I love you,' Adrien breathed before he could stop himself.

A heartbeat, two, three. An eternity of silence, with metaphorical crickets chirping in the background. A silence so thick even the distant shout from the photoshoot crew couldn't shatter it.

It was Marinette who broke first.

'W-whaaa?'

The panic that gripped him let his tongue loose.

'It's the curse!' he babbled frantically, the rehearsed speech long forgotten. 'It made me fall in love with you, up to the point where I can't stand not being close to you. I think it's magical, hence the literal magnet effect you witnessed yesterday. But it may be prone to suggestions since your idea for a talisman worked perfectly.'

'I'm sorry,' Marinette drawled in bewildered whisper. 'You lost me at "I love you"!'

'I am', he assured her solemnly, nodding his head like a maniac. 'Deeply, madly in love with you. It's called spring fever and the only cure is a kiss from the object of my affection.'

'A k-kiss? From me? To- to cure you from loving me?'

Her blue eyes were as big as saucers now, blinking in confusion. She frowned and pressed her lips into a thin line.

Ah, congratulations, Adrien, you already screwed this.

'Oh my god, I'm sorry!' he exclaimed. 'I know how it sounds and believe me I wouldn't be asking if I could function as a normal person, but there are some matters that I can't really tell you about that require me being, so to speak, my own man.'

'So you want me to kiss you and then you un-love me?' she asked carefully.

'Basically yes.' At this point Adrien couldn't stop nodding even if he tried, his neck set on autopilot out of sheer mortification.

'Gosh, you must think I'm a terrible kisser,' Marinette shook her head. 'Well let me tell you, mister, I never had any complaints!'

Marinette kissed someone else? Was it Nathanael? Was it Luka? The possessive cat in him bristled at those thoughts. Adrien did his best to stop the growl that threatened to rip out of his throat. Marinette wasn't his to be acting all jealous. He shook his head to get rid of those silly ideas.

'I'm sure your kisses are the best in the world, Marinette,' he blurted out. After all, he daydreamed about them for a whole day and was close to self combusting at the thought of them alone. He needed to prove his honesty. 'In fact, I'm dying to find out because only the thought of kissing you makes me dizzy with excitement,' he said eagerly. 'I could wax poetic about your smile and your gorgeous lips. I could spend hours counting those adorable freckles on your skin-'

'Careful, Adrien,' she scowled at him. 'A girl might get a very wrong idea when you say things like that.'

'I knoooow,' he whined. 'I'm a walking disaster! I thought my love for Lad-, I thought I had it bad before this, but I had no idea love can be so powerful!'

Marinette glared at him for an uncomfortably long moment. Normally any sign of attention from her would be a nice boost to his ego, but not now. Not when he was on the receiving end of her scrutiny. _He_ knew he was finally being 100% honest, even if his choice of words could have been better. But _she_ had every reason not to trust him - starting with him trying to evade her questions yesterday, through his pitiful attempt at getting a kiss from her without disclosing the whole truth about his predicament, up to the "magical" explanation he had provided. Adrien couldn't blame her, he sounded ridiculous to his own very red pair of ears. He gulped wondering what will he do when she inevitably turns on her heels and leaves his pathetic butt behind.

Finally the love of his life released a frustrated groan and hid her face in her hands. 'Okay,' she said.

'Okay?'

'Okay, I'll do it,' she repeated as she emerged from behind her hands.

Was it his imagination or did she shrink in the last few seconds? He could see the determination in her eyes, but there was something else lurking underneath as well.

Adrien hesitated as he searched her gaze. Sadness, resignation, pain. He couldn't put it into words, but whatever it was, the weight of her stare made his stomach sink. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

'But?' He asked eventually, averting his gaze to the floor. Maybe she wanted him to figure it out himself, as he assumed there must have been something on her mind.

Marinette arched a brow.'Do you really think I would follow with a "but"?'

'No, but…'

'Exactly. No "but",' she repeated with emphasis. 'If you need to do this, we're doing this. No strings attached.'

Adrien had exactly two words left in him. 'Thank you,' he breathed.

First, came the relief and elation that Marinette agreed to provide the cure he needed. His chest was no longer tight with tension. Then, the gratitude curved his lips into a soft smile. His heart stuttered giddy with excitement that he'd finally get a kiss he'd remember! Adrien tried to swallow the spoonful of bitter guilt that he'd go back to not loving this wonderful girl in just a few moments.

'So…' Marinette's voice cut into his thoughts. She wrung her fingers and stepped anxiously from one foot to the other. A fresh coat of pink colored her cheeks. 'Do you want me to do this now or-'

'Shouldn't you buy me a dinner first?' He murmured in an attempt to lighten the mood. Marinette looked nervous and god only knew how jittery he was right now.

She pursed her lips into a thin line, but the twinkle in her eyes told him it was to prevent her from laughing at loud.

'Sorry,' he grinned. He wasn't sorry even a little bit.

Marinette bit her lower lip as if considering how to approach the matter. Then she stepped closer and climbed to her toes, gripping the lapels of his jacket for stability.

Adrien felt his heart hammering wildly in his ribcage, the rush of blood sent another heat wave through his system.

A breath of air that escaped her brushed his lips with warmth. The heady scents of spring surrounded him again, enclosing him in a personal bubble of bliss. Marinette closed her eyes with a sigh and leaned in. The last thing Adrien saw before closing his own was her tantalizingly perfect pink lips puckered into an adorable "o".

_This is it_, he thought, tilting his head.

'So this is how you save yourself for Ladybug?!' A voice roared from the door.

* * *

_Author's Note: Welcome back! I could finally get back to this story. There are a few chapters left in it, so stay tuned, because I intend to complete it in the next few weeks. Thank you for all your reviews, favs and follows. They make me happy and let me know I'm doing this right._

_Many thanks to Remasa for beta reading and discussing all the difficult points of this fic. It's much better thanks to her ideas._

_Let me know what you think of this update! Your reviews mean the world to me!_


	13. Marinette & the Agrestes

**13\. Marinette & the Agrestes**

_**In which Adrien **__**meets a family friend**_

'So this is how you save yourself for Ladybug?!'

Adrien jostled, bumping his forehead against Marinette's head. He opened his eyes only to see his partner for the day, Giselle, standing at the entrance and panting angrily. She was already in her outfit for the photoshoot, fiddling angrily with the leather tassels on her belt. She shook her head irritably, causing her dark curls to cascade over her shoulders. And next to her, with brows knitted into a furry V and lips pressed tightly together stood none other than Gabriel Agreste in the flesh and blood.

'Who's that girl?' Marinette whispered from behind his back.

He hadn't noticed that he had taken a protective stance in front of her, shielding her from the newcomers. It was pure instinct, but in hindsight it must have strengthened the impression they were doing something they shouldn't have.

'Giselle Rodin, a model and family friend,' he murmured with a corner of his mouth. 'She… does not take competition lightly.'

Indeed, Giselle seemed to be hell bent on demonstrating how insulting it was for her to find Adrien locking lips with someone else.

'Gabriel!' she fumed. 'I could understand a juvenile crush on Ladybug. "That's just a phase",' she punctuated her rant with air quotes. 'Your words, not mine. But _this?!_' she spat. 'Your son offended me!'

Adrien's father set his jaw. He spared a glance between Adrien and Marinette before turning to the seething model.

'Giselle, I understand your concern but not returning your feelings is hardly offending,' he droned low, a tad of exasperation in his voice.

As far as Adrien recalled, all Rodins he'd met were high maintenance, but Giselle surpassed every other member of her family, raising entitlement to the level of art. He almost pitied his father, who frequently had to deal with Alan Rodin, Giselle's dad, and one of _Gabriel_'s investors. Having the girl included in every campaign for female lines had been one of the conditions under which the Rodins joined the Agreste's venture. If anyone thought Chloe was a spoiled brat, Adrien thought bitterly, they should get introduced to Giselle Rodin who made his childhood friend look like an angel. The model combined the looks and figure of a Greek goddess with a personality of a hyena, although that comparison probably was unfair to the hyenas.

'How dare you?!' Giselle cried. The leather tassels on her earrings shook with her every move. 'You know we'd make the cutest, most adorable, most beautiful celebrity power couple! "Gigi and Riri"! "Adriele" - the next "Brangelina"! Just imagine the tags blowing up the internet. And instead of giving us your blessing, instead of encouraging things to go their natural course,' she cocked her hip, displaying the perfect dip of her waist and waving the whip-like end of her belt, 'first you just dismiss my generous offer because of a silly celebrity crush, and now you're allowing this- this- ' she sputtered. 'Who even is that girl? I bet she's one of those crazy fangirls, who send their undies in mail. She obviously snuck her way in here and manipulated poor innocent Riri into kissing her. Should she even be here with all the top secret designs laying around?'

Adrien's father grunted, possibly swallowing a comment that was not worthy of a gentleman. Then he turned to the couple of teens.

'Giselle brought a valid point, Adrien. As much as I appreciate Marinette's talents, she should not be here. She's not on the staff list. Has she signed any NDAs for-'

'You know her?!' The model screeched, interrupting him. She aimed her perfectly manicured finger at Marinette. 'You're telling me you _actually know_ this sneaky boyfriend thief?!'

The hair on the back of Adrien's neck was already up, his hands clenched in fists at his sides. He could feel the growl of anger brewing in his throat. He saw a flash of disgust in his father's eyes, but the scowl on the man's face morphed into a calculated smirk before dissolving into his usual impassive mask.

'Giselle,' he started, not a shadow of sympathy in his voice, 'the choice to love one person or another is entirely Adrien's and if he wants to date a budding designer I'm not going to stand in his way.'

'A budding designer?' the girl parroted, glowering at Monsieur Agreste. 'Well, I'm already a famous, accomplished model-'

Adrien's father held her basilisk gaze. Icebergs crashed in his pale blue eyes. 'Marinette is famous as well,' he countered, flicking his hand dismissively. 'She won a competition I held. I believe she designed for Jagged Stone, appeared on the cover of a rock magazine and the hat she made featured in one of my shows. It was praised by Audrey Bourgeois herself.'

Giselle stomped her foot like a petulant child. 'I see…,' she hissed. 'So you're allowing a leech to grab your son and use your name on her way to fame?!'

'Marinette is not a leech!' Adrien roared before he could stop himself.

'You fool,' Giselle shook her head, narrowing her eyes at the boy. 'She's just using you, can't you see that?'

'That's enough, Mademoiselle Rodin!' Gabriel chastised.

'You're going to regret this!' the model raged. 'I'll show you!'

With that warning on her lips she stormed out of the room, tugging at parts of her stylization. The leather belt was her first victim. She unbuckled it in one swift motion and whipped at the nearest wall within her reach.

'Some extreme emotions,' Adrien's father muttered under his breath, a hint of appreciation in his voice. 'My apologies,' he turned to Marinette. 'Giselle is… ,' the man paused and Adrien knew he was looking for a polite adjective that could justify why they had to put up with someone like that. Finally he settled for, 'She's a family friend and a popular model,' as if it explained anything. 'But she was right about your presence here, Marinette. I need to ask you to leave. You're going to have to meet with Adrien another time,' he stood to the side, tilting his head to the entrance where Nathalie appeared, ready to escort the girl outside. 'Now excuse me,' his face darkened, 'but I need to take care of Giselle's fit of anger.'

He let Marinette out, paying her a short bow in reply to her curtsy when she went past him. Adrien thought he'd be left alone, but his father hesitated, one foot already on the threshold. He turned around, his hand absently fixing the striped cravat that slipped out of his waistcoat. His eyes skipped over Adrien's outfit, inspecting every detail of his look.

'That pocket square,' he murmured. 'That's not the right color. Give me that.' He reached out and plucked Marinette's hankie from Adrien's pocket. He waved it around as he started to shout orders. 'Nathalie, take care of that! I need to-'

The rest of his words were swallowed by the bustle of the photoshoot in progress.

_Tap._

Adrien's foot stepped towards the entrance.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for all your support so far: for the reviews, favs and follows. I appreciate them greatly! _

_A huge thank you to Remasa, who beta read this story, for her valuable advice. Make sure to check out her fics, they're amazing!_

_Let me know what you think of this update and visit me on tumblr: perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com ._


	14. Akumatized

**14\. Akumatized**

_**In which Adrien has no choice**_

After a moment of fruitless struggle, Adrien gave up and let his feet lead the way. He could see Marinette's dark pigtails in the distance, bobbing up and down in the sea of people filling the set. He was halfway to the exit when he heard a commotion behind him. He couldn't stop even if he tried, his feet trailing obediently after the love of his life. The boy risked a peek over his shoulder just in time to see a dark butterfly sinking into the belt Giselle had torn off her outfit. She'd been surrounded by a little crowd of assistants, all of whom fled the moment the akuma settled upon its target.

His feet stopped, a sure sign that Marinette must have halted as well. It gave him the perfect opportunity to observe as dark smoke enveloped the model's figure. Out of the magical mist emerged the akuma. Hawkmoth either must have heard of Giselle or he had a peculiar sense of humor. Clad in gladiator-style sandals, her feet tread lightly over the set grounds. Her dress - a deep shade of ruby - was draped over her still model-worthy figure, like an ancient tunic. Golden leaves sparkled in the long, black, curly hair. There was a crimson gleam in her hitherto brown eyes. Her skin faded though, not resembling her olive complexion anymore, but bringing white marble to mind. Dark, angel-like wings unfolded behind her back, completing the divine look.

The akuma surveyed her outfit triumphantly. The belt in her hand transformed into a long, golden whip. Light flickered over the smooth edge when she gave it an experimental tug. A sharp crack cut through the heavy silence.

'You!' the villain roared pointing to one of the assistants cowering behind a makeup station. 'Do you still think red is not my color?'

The girl gulped and shook her head in fear. The akuma cackled at the reaction. She tugged at the whip and shot the flickering end towards the assistant. Another crack sounded in the hall as the whip connected with its target. The girl turned to stone.

'I am Nemesis!' the akuma announced. 'I bring retribution to those arrogant in the face of the gods! I bring revenge to those who dare to lie to their goddess!'

She looked around. Her eyes landed on a lighting assistant. 'You! I heard you saying no one in their right mind would want a girl like me!'

Her next victim stood defiantly, with chin up in the air. 'And?' she asked.

'Admit that you were just trying to bad mouth me!' Nemesis hollered. 'Admit that you lied and I will spare you.'

The woman didn't reply.

'Have it your way,' the akuma shrugged. 'The whip will show the truth anyway.'

She tugged at her weapon, while the lighting assistant closed her eyes. Once again the whip cracked. But this time there was no stone statue on the other end. The woman still stood tall. She narrowed her eyes at the akuma.

'So what's the truth?' she sassed.

Nemesis shrieked and stomped her foot. She wrapped the whip around the woman and hurled her into the crowds.

'Where's that thieving girl?!' she demanded, choosing to ignore this minor failure. 'Where's Marinette? She'll feel the strike of the whip of truth!'

The remaining crowd finally remembered their brains as people started running towards the exits taking Adrien with them. He realized he didn't feel the pull. Marinette must be somewhere nearby. He hoped she'd escape or hide, especially after Nemesis declared her to be her target. He was almost to the door when his feet finally resisted, trying to walk _against _the current.

Oh no.

He saw Marinette crouching behind a pillar. She was too far from the entrance to escape unnoticed as Nemesis was already stepping towards the exit, inspecting every possible hideout. Fighting against the fleeing crowds Adrien watched as the love of his life tried to pull herself up against the wall. She winced, standing on her right foot and favoring the left one.

So that's why she couldn't run with the rest of people. Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but then she turned her head and spotted him. Her eyes widened. She shooed at him, prompting him to escape.

Adrien shook his head. He would not leave her like that. Even if he wasn't tethered to her, he would not.

'Pssst!' Plagg hissed from under the boy's overshirt. 'Shouldn't you transform already?'

But how? Marinette was looking directly at him and he doubted his transformation would go unnoticed by the villain. He'd have to act as Adrien. Silently he edged his way to the girl along the wall, trying to ignore the fact that she kept motioning for him to go away.

His heart sank as he heard the approaching steps. He ducked behind a rack full of clothes.

'There's my little thief,' Nemesis chuckled.

Adrien peeked from his hideout just in time to see the villain wrapping her marble arm around the love of his life. Marinette's hands were pressed to her sides, the golden whip wrapped around her torso.

'You're coming with me,' the akuma croaked.

She unfolded the dark wings and took flight. Adrien's unresisting feet followed, his eyes never leaving Marinette's figure. When she looked back at him he was shocked to find no fear in her eyes, but something closer to exasperation. She kept scanning the rooftops.

'I'm coming, princess,' Adrien muttered to himself, trailing after the akuma, while all around him people ran for cover.

'On the bright side,' Plagg chirped from under the boy's shirt. 'At least your feet know the way.'

* * *

_Author's Note: T__hank you for reading, reviewing, favoring and following this story. It makes my day, even my whole week!_

_Many thanks to my wonderful beta Remasa, who's been a great help in making this story better. Check out her fics, they're awesome!_


	15. Bridal style

**15\. Bridal style**

_**In which Adrien learns a new fact**_

For the first time in two days, Adrien appreciated the curse, even if he had to run to keep up with Nemesis. She circled the area with Marinette still tucked under her arm. Adrien was sure the sight of his friend dangling under a black wing on the second floor level would feature prominently in his future nightmares. He tried his best not to think what would happen if the akuma dropped the girl. And he still couldn't transform. Too many eyes could see him right now and running into hiding was out of the question. Not when the invisible tether pulled him this way and that, as Nemesis flew over Paris.

But that wasn't the most disturbing part of this particular event. As he was dragged through the streets he could hear Nemesis's rant, as well as Marinette's barked replies.

'How dare you kiss a boy like that. How dare you use him!' The akuma hissed. 'He should have been mine and I'll make sure he will be!'

'It's none of your business,' Marinette hissed through clenched teeth. Adrien wondered how didn't she suffer from vertigo yet. 'But I don't make a habit of kissing boys I do not love.'

Huh? Adrien's heart stopped for a second. His skin covered in cold sweat. Did he really hear that right?

'Yeah, like I believe you're in love with him,' Nemesis snorted. 'You just want the same everyone wants - fame and money. What was it that Gabriel said? "A young budding designer". Hah! You think I don't know what that means? I'm surprised he even lets you close to Adrien considering how you're clearly planning to make a career in fashion on his back.'

This time Marinette growled. 'I couldn't care less for his fame, his connections or anything like that,' she spat. 'I'd still want him. I'm not in love with his money, nor his name.' Her voice got softer, more tender, when she spoke about him. 'He's the sweetest, kindest person I've met. And when he doesn't need to be an Agreste he's funny and grumpy, caring and shy. I'd do anything for him,' the girl assured hotly.

_No strings attached_. Her words from earlier came back to him. If he needed this, she'd do it. Suddenly he felt sick as if he was the one flying above the ground at a villain's mercy. The love of his life… loved him back. Not only that but she loved him for who he really was, she saw _him_, not the picture perfect model boy. He wouldn't believe for even one second that she was trying to use him. She had plenty of occasions already. She loved him enough to kiss him and make him un-love her.

'Hah. Adrien is nothing like that,' Nemesis rebuked, although there was a hesitant lilt to her voice. She quickly shook herself. 'Well, since you're so selfless you might as well help me lure Ladybug and Chat Noir here to get those miraculouses for my current boss,' she drawled acidly. 'And then I'll make sure you'll never get close to Adrien again. He's mine. My father promised me that.'

Finally she landed in the square, near its center. A location that would give her vantage when the heroes would come. As soon as Marinette's feet touched the ground she started struggling against her ties. With an angry tug of her hand Nemesis retrieved her weapon. Marinette collapsed, clutching at her left ankle.

'I suppose I don't have to keep you tied,' the akuma chuckled. 'You won't get too far anyway.'

Adrien hid behind some ornamental bushes and watched Marinette as she sent the villain a hard look, before turning her eyes to the rooftops. By now surely Ladybug should have been alerted and on her way. He checked the Ladyblog, but he found no indication as to the heroine's whereabouts.

'Hurry up, Ladybug,' he murmured.

'Couldn't put it better myself,' came a reply from nearby.

Adrien swallowed a shriek of surprise. He whipped his head to the side. Alya was crouching maybe a meter away, phone at the ready. Her gaze shifted from Marinette's form to the rooftops, then to Adrien.

'They're taking awfully long to get here, aren't they?' she asked, frowning in worry. 'I've managed to get here on foot when I heard what happened. They should be here already.'

_Well, one half of the super duo was here_, Adrien thought bitterly, but he had no chance to transform with all the people watching him. And he couldn't exactly run away either. The only direction for him was _towards_ Marinette. Hmmm. Maybe that wasn't a bad idea?

'Hey, Alya,' he nudged his classmate with an elbow. 'Care for a little diversion?'

The girl sent him a confused look.

'Marinette needs help,' he explained. 'I don't want to wait for the heroes. I need you to divert the akuma's attention for as long as you can. Unless…' he faltered seeing her raised brows, 'unless you don't want to.' Not everyone was a hero material after all.

Alya cast one last uncertain look to the rooftops. She clenched her fists. 'I'll do what I can,' she promised. She looked around. There was a metro station entrance nearby, with another exit on the other side of the square. Alya ran down the stairs and in a moment she emerged on the opposite side from Adrien.

'Yo!' She yelled to the akuma. 'A few words for the Ladyblog?'

Nemesis turned her way. Her lips curved in disdain. 'Why would I talk to you?'

'Ladybug and Chat Noir rely on my blog for information,' Alya offered. 'Maybe you have a message for them?'

The akuma considered this, tapping her fingers against her lip. She thoughtfully tugged at her whip from time to time. Alya gulped, but kept her phone set on the villain, her eyes not even once wandering to Adrien's hideout. The girl must have nerves of steel, Adrien decided. He made a mental note to propose Alya as the candidate to take up Queen Bee's mantle, now that Chloe had been relieved from her duty. Chat and Ladybug could use a teammate as bold and cheeky as the Ladyblogger.

'Okay,' Nemesis decided. 'But I expect a professional interview, worthy of a goddess.'

'Of course,' Alya nodded. 'So I suggest you move a little bit to the left, the shot would look much better, and you'd be out of the statue's shadow. The lighting is perfect,' the girl babbled, 'the sun is not too high, the angle is awesome.'

That was a brilliant plan, but would Nemesis be vain enough to fall for it?

The villain hesitated. She cast a look towards her hostage, but Marinette smartly hunched over her hurt ankle. Her face twisted in pain, but the gleam in her eye told Adrien there was more acting than actual pain involved. Nemesis seemed to make up her mind.

'Very well,' she agreed, taking the spot Alya had suggested. 'Does this look good?'

The Ladyblogger pursed her lips. 'Can you, like, let your hair down your right shoulder? And turn your torso a bit like this,' she instructed.

A string of suggestions flowed steadily from Alya's lips, while Nemesis complied, caring for the best shot. Finally the girl nodded in satisfaction and signaled the villain to start her announcement.

Adrien didn't waste a second. As soon as the akuma's attention was on Alya, her head conveniently turned the other way, and her view obscured by the long wavy hair for better measure, he started sneaking soundlessly in Marinette's direction. She caught his eye, and pointed to her ankle making a thumb down gesture. He nodded, never ceasing his prowl towards her. When she was within his reach he slipped one hand under her knees, wrapping the other around her back. In the next moment he was already sprinting towards the stairs to the metro station, with Marinette in his arms. He figured there'd be enough secluded places there for him to leave Marinette and finally transform.

His skin burned at her touch but he kept going, fuelled by fear for the person he loved. His heart sang at her proximity and happily provided the strength his muscles needed. Adrien had a brief flashback to all the times he held her so close, carrying her to safety. His cheeks stung with the fierceness of the blush that crawled onto his face.

The shriek behind him brought him back to reality.

'You tricked me, you little-' a whip crack rolled over the square. 'Hey! Stop!' Nemesis cried after them.

Adrien heard another crack and felt the rush of air on his legs, but the villain missed him.

'What do you mean "let them go", Hawkmoth?' she growled. 'You promised I would get my revenge!'

He looked around. There was a statue in Alya's place. Nemesis stood next to it and clutched at her head, a purple outline covering her eyes.

'I want them now, not later!' she argued with the voice inside her head.

She hunched her shoulders, her face contorted in a grimace of pain. She could no longer see where he was going, so he sped up, reaching the metro stairs in record time.

Once inside Adrien leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut to ignore the purple spots in his vision. His whole body was on fire. Pulling a stunt like that outside of his suit still took a lot of energy.

'Um, Adrien?'

His heart beat faster at the sound of Marinette's voice.

'Yes, my l- Marinette?' he breathed.

'N-not that I'm complaining but can you put me down?'

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for your constant and unwavering support for this story – for your reviews, favs and follows. I'm happy you're enjoying this fic so much!_

_As always I'd like to thank Remasa for betareading this story and for helping me shape it up. Make sure to check her newest fic: "The Real Heroes of Conventions"!_

_For more miraculous content visit my blog: perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com or look at my other stories. I appreciate your reviews greatly, so don't hesitate to leave a few words!_


	16. Civilian heroes

**16\. Civilian heroes**

_**In which Adrien feels stuff**_

'Adrien? N-not that I'm complaining but can you put me down?' Marinette asked.

'Oh, right, sorry, sorry,' he panted, depositing her gently on the ground.

She grimaced when she tried to stand on her left foot. In a split second Adrien sank to his knees to inspect her injury. The ankle was a bit swollen and bruised. Nothing "Miraculous Ladybug" couldn't fix, when Ladybug finally gets the memo to come and do her job.

'Why did you come after me,' Marinette hissed when he gently touched the swollen part. 'I told you to get away!'

'My father took away the handkerchief,' he muttered to her feet.

'Oh.'

The implications were obvious. He had to follow her. Now Adrien wondered what Marinette thought about him rescuing her. Did she consider it brave and daring or rather reckless and stupid? Did she think he didn't have any choice? Or was she happy that the boy she… _loved_ came to her aid?

'Was it true?' he murmured. He stood up, but didn't dare to meet her eyes yet. 'What you said about me to Nemesis?'

'That I love you?'

He wished he could hear those words spilling from her lips forever. His pulse quickened and his ears must have been lobster-red because they burned as if roasted over open fire. Now he glanced at her. A delicate blush graced her cheeks. She looked so vulnerable, fragile and yet, in a way, relieved and confident.

He nodded in reply, suddenly not trusting his voice.

'Yes,' she breathed, ducking her head. 'I meant every word.'

'Is that…' Adrien hesitated. 'The way I feel about you now… you feel this way all the time?'

'What do you feel?'

How could he even describe it? How could he put to words the entirety of his freshly acquired feelings? Suddenly extremely self conscious Adrien considered the best way to translate the sensations into French.

'When we touch,' he drawled, recalling each and every time this happened, 'there's this warm feeling in my chest. My heart flutters when I look at you,' he admitted, shy but determined to finally get her to understand. 'The thought of not being close to you makes my stomach twist anxiously.' He sighed. 'And last night I dreamed about you.'

'Yeah, that's about right,' she muttered.

Adrien fell silent for a moment. The knowledge that she loved him quite frankly was slowly turning him into a puddle of mush. It was as if he suddenly received the most precious treasure, the gift of gifts, one he'd be eternally grateful for. And he loved her, more than words could express.

Was this still the fever? This feeling bubbling in his chest, this wild rhythm his heart made, this longing in his soul. He was lightheaded, and yet a heavy weight settled in his guts. Did he have the right to ask this girl to kiss him, now that he knew how she felt about him?

'I can hear you thinking,' Marinette's voice cut into his musings. 'I can see the conflict in your face. I'm not going to bail on that kiss, you know. You need to be free of this curse.'

'Marinette, I-'

A shriek from outside interrupted him, followed by a stampede of feet. A shadow passed over the stairs, two dark wings obscuring the sunlight. Nemesis was still waiting for the heroes, and her patience must have run thin, if she started to take it out on civilians. Some more people ran into the metro station, with the villain at their heels.

It was no longer safe here.

'We need to-'

'Ladybug and Chat Noir are still absent,' Marinette said looking up from her phone.

She assessed their surroundings, that strangely familiar gleam in her eyes, and not for the first time Adrien wondered why the hell wasn't she scared, but only concerned. He followed her gaze to the fleeing people.

'We need to do something,' she said in a voice so commanding that he found himself standing to attention before the words even registered.

'You're hurt,' he pointed out. 'I should get you to safety.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' Marinette looked him in the eye. 'Someone has to stop her.'

Adrien wanted to argue, the thought of the love of his life attempting to take out a villain making him sick to his bones, but there was something in Marinette's stare that made it impossible for him to disobey her. A rock would have stood up and assisted her if she stared at it like that.

'Don't worry, Adrien,' she put a hand on his shoulder once again igniting fireworks all over his skin. 'I have a plan. Hopefully it will be enough to stall her until the heroes arrive.'

He nodded.

'But I need your help,' she admitted. 'I need you to hide. I'm going to distract her and I need you to intercept that whip at the right moment. You think you can do it?'

Hah, that would be a piece of cake for Chat Noir. Would it be for Adrien as well? There was only one way to find out.

'I think I can,' he confirmed. 'But you shouldn't-

'I'm just going to talk to her,' Marinette waved her hand dismissively. 'Don't worry.'

She hopped to the middle of the underpass, sparing her left leg as much as she could. Adrien didn't like the look on her face, but before he could do anything, a shadow loomed over the girl.

'Well, well, well,' Nemesis drawled, narrowing her eyes at Marinette. 'I knew you wouldn't get too far.'

* * *

_Author's Note: Hello, hello, hello. I'm back from a little vacation with a fresh update. I hope you like it! We're slowly nearing the end of this story. Please tell me what you think of this chapter. I greatly appreciate your reviews, follows and favs! I'm so happy this story just reached 150 favorites!_

_A sincere thank you to Remasa, who brainstormed and betaread this story helping me shape it into what it is now. Make sure to check out her works, including the newest fic "The Perfect Party (with Just a Dash of Chaos)". _


	17. Nightmare

**17\. Nightmare**

_**In which Adrien is amazed**_

If Adrien had known her plan was to confront Nemesis and get attacked, he would never have agreed. This was by far _the_ bravest and most reckless thing he'd seen Marinette attempt. Without batting an eyelash, with her chin high up, she faced the villain. The scene would feed Adrien's nightmares for years. His blood ran cold as he watched the love of his life challenging Nemesis.

'If you're so sure I'm trying to use Adrien, why don't you check it yourself?' Marinette inquired. 'Is that because you're afraid I'm telling the truth?'

'You're not telling the truth,' the villain shrugged, malicious grin on her marble face. 'See, I've been in this business all my life. I've seen it happening tens of times, I've heard of hundreds more. I _know_ how it works.'

'You don't know me.'

'Please, have you looked at yourself?' Nemesis snorted out a laugh. 'What do you have that I don't? What a girl like you could possibly offer to someone like Adrien?'

Marinette seemed to consider this for a moment. 'Talent?' She offered. 'Honest friendship? Genuine affection? Baked goods? A killer partner in video games?'

Adrien saw a shadow of a smirk dancing on her lips. He couldn't help but to think he liked this side of her very much and he wished he'd see it more often. Or maybe he just had a thing for strong women? She was playing with fire, demonstrating iron-clad confidence, a devil-may-care attitude and sass he had no idea she was capable of, clearly trying to vex Nemesis into making a mistake. And it looked as if her plan was working.

The akuma cackled. 'Baked goods?' She parotted. 'Genuine affection? I think I'm going to give you what you've asked for, girl,' she brandished the whip.

That was his cue. Adrien tensed, ready to intercept the weapon. He thought Marinette wanted to focus Nemesis' attention so that he could sneak his way to her. He was wrong.

'Show me what you got,' the love of his life called out. She opened her arms, waiting for the crack.

She didn't have to wait long. With a banshee scream the akuma tugged at the whip. Marinette stared at her challengingly, not budging even one bit. The whip made contact with her skin. The crack was deafening in the narrow space of the underpass, masking Adrien's frantic steps as he launched himself in their direction. Terrified he cast a look at his friend.

Marinette was still standing in her place, perfectly fine and unmarbleized. She raised a brow. 'Your turn,' she murmured.

Nemesis sent her a confused look. It only took a tiny fraction of a second and Adrien ripped the weapon out of her unresisting hand. Not thinking twice he threw it to Marinette, who caught it expertly and brandished it as if she'd been dealing with ropes her whole life.

'Let's see what you're made of,' she said.

Another crack thundered over the passage accompanied by Nemesis' cry of protest, both leaving an unpleasant ringing in Adrien's ears.

The space was suddenly short of villains. A stone statue appeared where Nemesis had been standing mere seconds ago. An outstretched hand, reaching for the whip. Lips opened in a silent shriek. Eyes blown wide and hair thrown back. Adrien was sure this was the least flattering image of Giselle he'd ever seen.

Marinette limped to her. She weighed the weapon in her palm.

'It's still dangerous, but if I break it and set the butterfly free while Ladybug is not here to purify it…,' she said.

Adrien shivered. 'The last thing this city needs is an army of Nemeses.'

'Despair not, civilians, who I see for the first time in my eternal life,' a familiar voice sounded from somewhere near the statue's head. 'The cavalry has arrived! Well, metaphorically speaking.'

Plagg's head popped from behind Nemesis' stone cold shoulder. Adrien suppressed a groan, while Marinette squeaked adorably in surprise.

'Sorry,' the kwami's ears dropped apologetically. 'I didn't mean to startle you.'

'What- who are you?'

Plagg tapped his nose. 'I'm Chat Noir's boss,' he announced with a toothy grin.

'Don't you mean "assistant"?' Adrien drawled. He had no idea why his kwami decided to show up to a civilian. Two civilians technically.

Marinette actually _giggled_ at that, trying in vain to hide a smile.

The sprite sent him a flat look. 'I may be small in size, but I'm not some Santa's little helper,' he replied acidly. 'Anyway I'm here to offer my services as Chat Noir and Ladybug can't _show up _now,' he paid Marinette a deep bow.

'Your services?' The girl tilted her head, knitting her brows.

'I can relieve you of this cursed cargo,' he pointed at the whip, 'and take it to Ladybug for purification.'

'What are you going to do with it?' Adrien crossed his arms in front of his chest, his voice dripping with suspicion. First time he witnessed Plagg actually _volunteering_ for anything.

The sprite looked between the two teens, then down at his belly and up at the ceiling.

'You don't want to know,' he finally replied.

'So you'll get this to Ladybug?' Marinette made sure. She passed him the whip.

'You bet,' Plagg grinned. 'Cataclysm,' he whispered and touched the weapon with a tip of his paw. The item turned to dust as the ground shook. A few cracks appeared where the whip lay on the ground, a few specks of dust fell from the ceiling.

The akuma broke free. It fluttered its wings and took flight to sunlight.

Plagg sighed. 'Just think it tastes like camembert,' he muttered barely audibly and leaped after the butterfly. Before Adrien could even ask what he wanted to do, the kwami swallowed the insect. He burped with an echo that should not be possible in such a small creature.

'Hey, since when can you-,' Adrien started.

Plagg sent him a warning look. 'I trust you two to keep quiet about this, okay? Now excuse me, but I have a Ladybug to catch.' With one last grin he turned around and flew back into the metro.

Adrien watched until the kwami disappeared from sight. Marinette's hiss of pain interrupted his plan to follow Plagg.

'Come on, I'll help you,' he offered, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders and taking her weight. Once again he was stunned by her scent. He tried to ignore his spinning head and blood drumming in his ears. Ignoring the heat that ignited his skin proved to be more difficult.

'Adrien, wait.' Marinette stopped him.

She put a hand on his chest. He wondered if she could feel the frantic beating of his heart.

'F-for what?' he stuttered, her proximity threatening to render him speechless. He squeezed his eyes shut and resolved to keeping his intakes of air in short, shallow breaths, not to get drunk on her essence. 'Your leg is n-not going to get better until Ladybug finally arrives.'

'The kiss,' she simply said. 'Before something or someone interrupts us again.'

'The kiss,' he echoed, the finality of it suddenly crashing on him.

Adrien looked at her, for the first time in days seeing Marinette in an entirely new light. Not only was she a great classmate and a thoughtful friend. She was kind and accepting, loyal, sensitive and respectful. But also strong, determined, creative and resourceful. She was brave, fearless maybe, definitely selfless.

And she loved him.

'No, I- I can't ask you to do that,' he whispered. 'I don't want- Oh, this is a nightmare!'

'A nightmare? Why?' She frowned. 'Don't you want to break the curse?'

If she'd asked him that question the day before, he'd undoubtedly said yes. But now he was hesitant. Why didn't he want her to kiss him? Why hadn't he confessed the true nature of the curse earlier?

_Because I don't want this to end, _he realized._ I don't want to stop loving her. Because I feel it in my bones I belong with her. Because she's my soulmate. _

Was this the curse talking? Adrien no longer knew how he felt. Where did his original feelings end and the miraculous magic begin?

'Adrien?'

'Loving you… it's not-,' he murmured. 'It's the best thing that happened to me since-...,' his hand went into his hair. He caught a fistful and tugged, hoping for the pain to give his mind back to him. 'I love loving you,' he ended lamely.

'But you're cursed,' Marinette looked at him from under her long lashes, her gaze worried and kind.

He could drown in her eyes. He wanted to be able to look into them every day. He wanted to worship her every day. The nausea and panic rose from the depths of his stomach.

'That isn't fair,' she continued, unaware of his internal turmoil. 'You need to - as you said - be your own man. You need to make your own choices, not have magic make those choices for you.'

'I know.'

'We need to do this,' Marinette turned to face him. Adrien failed to remove the hand that rested on her shoulder. She blushed and smiled sweetly. 'And I'm not saying that because I want a kiss from a cute boy.'

'I know,' he chuckled, despite his unease, blushing even more. 'Just… let me have this…' he ducked his head and pressed his forehead to hers. He wouldn't have dared attempt such an intimate gesture, but he desperately wanted to savor those last moments. He wasn't sure what he'd remember once the curse was removed.

Marinette didn't shy away, just like she hadn't when they had been talking in her room. She leaned into him instead, wrapping her hands around his middle. 'Whatever happens, you won't lose me, Adrien. I promise.'

Each time Adrien thought she couldn't be more perfect, she proved him wrong. How could she read him like an open book? How could she know him like this?

'You're wonderful, Marinette,' he whispered, his voice cracking. 'Thank you. For everything.'

She climbed to her toes and reached to his lips. The world fell still.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you to Remasa for beta reading this story, for all of her valuable suggestions and additions. Make sure to check her newest fic "The Real Heroes of Conventions" from the Unconventional Scenarios series._

_Thank you all for the reviews, favs and follows. I greatly appreciate your support for this story._

_For more miraculous content visit my tumblr blog: perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com. _


	18. Bien Joue

**18\. Bien joue**

_**In which Adrien**__** takes things slow**_

The magic rushed through him as soon as their lips touched, making him high on spring and power. The world spun around him as sparkles cracked all over his tingling skin. Adrien felt charged with new energy, filled with inexplicable happiness and melting from emotions flooding his heart. And the earthly scents of grass, blossoming trees and spring sun only added to the sensations. The seconds the kiss took stretched to eternity as he remained in this enchanted moment. The gentle touch of her lips, the soft sigh that escaped them. Her hands clutching at his shirt, her body pressed into him. He would give anything to save this moment, to capture and preserve it forever.

It felt like coming home and never leaving again. Like finding the center of the universe. His lifeline, his anchor, his place. And it was all her. The point all the roads led to, all the thoughts escaped to. The yin to his yang. The light to his darkness. The lyrics to his music. The art to his logic. Adrien was overwhelmed as all those revelations washed over him. He was suddenly millennia old and seconds young at the same time. Something unfathomable had been at play here, something he doubted he'd ever be able to understand. He melted into the kiss, trying to translate the entirety of his feelings into brushes of his lips against hers. Wishing she could feel what he felt right now, dazed as he was.

Finally Marinette pulled away, leaving a gaping cold space between them. Adrien tightened his grip on her waist, wanting to stop her from retreating entirely. Their foreheads still touched.

'I love you,' the confession spilled from his lips, still drunk after the kiss, before he even had time to think about it.

'W-what? What did you say?'

'I- I love you,' he repeated, more confident now. He no longer felt feverish nor pulled to her in the way he had been. The tether was gone. But his feelings hadn't changed. He finally understood it all - Plagg's revelations, the dreams, the pull. He finally _knew,_ even as the memory of the kiss, the sensations it brought were slowly slipping away from him.

'If this is a joke, or a way to get me to kiss you again, it's not funny,' she warned, her voice tight.

'I've always loved you,' he whispered with a small smile.

'What?'

'That's what the fever did,' he chuckled lightly. 'I was wrong when I said it made me fall in love with you. It didn't.'

Now Marinette pulled away far enough to look him straight in the eye. Her face had confusion written all over, but that sparkle of hope glimmered in the blue irises.

'Marinette,' he said solemnly, 'you had me completely under your spell before I even broke a sweat.'

'But… the curse…'

He put a hand on her cheek, thumb gently caressing the freckled skin. Adrien said a little prayer to any deity willing to listen, a silent plea to be allowed to caress her like that every day.

'Loving you could never be a curse. It's a blessing, a gift I'll be forever grateful.'

Instead of melting into his touch Marinette withdrew even further. Her hand went to his forehead, in a fashion typical for someone who only wants to check the temperature.

'You're not feverish, are you?' she asked, still doubtful. 'You haven't gone crazy from all the excitement?'

'Nu-uh,' he shook his head, smirking at her reaction. 'I'm as sane as the next man. The fever didn't take away my brains, it only made me aware of my feelings for you.'

'Your feelings for me,' Marinette echoed. 'What does that mean?'

'I love you,' he reminded. 'I love you, I love you, I love you, just in case you missed the first few clues.'

'Stop it,' she hid her face in her hands.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. 'Is it really so hard to believe?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'I don't know,' she mumbled into her hands. 'It's scary.'

'Me loving you is scary? How?'

'This is a dream, right? I'm going to wake up any time soon and it will turn out I drooled over my desk and Chloe took pictures and posted them on instagram.'

'Marinette, I promise this is not a dream.' Now Adrien dared to peel her hands off her face.

He wasn't so sure about this not being a dream but he was willing to risk it. Marinette was apparently overwhelmed with two days worth of confessions and revelations. But she loved him, Nemesis' weapon had provided the ultimate proof of that. She promised he wasn't going to lose her. That's when he realized he could afford to slow down.

'How about this,' he offered. 'I like you, Marinette. Very, very much. What would you say if I took you out sometime?'

* * *

_Author's Note: I am terribly sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter, but life kept getting more and more hectic. Now I promise the last two chapters should be up next week._

_Thank you for your patience, for all the reviews, favs and follows. A big thank you to Remasa, who beta read this chapter and for her valuable advice!_

_For more miraculous content visit my tumblr blog: perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com._


	19. Puns

**19\. Puns**

_**In which Adrien's Chat is showing**_

The silence that followed his question was positively deafening. Marinette stared, frozen, as if not comprehending what just happened. As if the kissing spell shifted not only his curse but her confidence as well. Adrien couldn't help but worry that kiss would be the only one they'd ever share.

Yup, another look at the love of his life confirmed that he probably freaked her out for good, since she apparently lost her ability to speak in his presence again. Her lips were opening and closing but no sound came out.

He sighed inwardly. The luck of a black cat. Just as he finally realized he loved her, he'd already scared her away. He averted his gaze, only to find Plagg peeking at them from around the corner.

Right. Maybe he should take care of the akuma first, and of his increasingly complicated love life later. He should be more worried about Ladybug's absence after all.

Adrien grabbed Marinette by her shoulders.

'Look,' he said, 'this clearly isn't the best time. Why don't we take care of your ankle now. I still have a photoshoot to come back to.' He winced at the thought of the scolding he'd get for going AWOL from that.

She nodded slowly. Her gaze drifted to a nearby bench. Wordlessly she raised her brows and tilted her head in that direction squeezing his hand at the same time.

Once again Adrien lifted her bridal style and in just three long steps he reached the bench. It was no distance at all, he'd be happy to carry her home if she'd let him, alas that wasn't what she wanted and Mama Agreste hadn't raised a pushy savage after all. As he gently put Marinette down Adrien noticed the fierce colors blooming on her cheeks. His heart did a little whoop. Even if she was temporarily speechless, maybe there was still hope?

Emboldened by that observation he caught her hand with practiced ease and planted a hearty kiss on her knuckles.

'And here I thought it was you who swept me off my feet,' he purred, his inner Chat surfacing without permission. To his utmost joy it seemed to fluster her even more.

'_Au revoir_,' he bowed, practically bending in half and leaped into the shadow of the passage Plagg was hiding in.

'Adrien!'

He halted mid step and looked over his shoulder.

Marinette was standing shakily by the bench. Somehow she managed to fidget having only one good leg at her disposal. She fluttered her lashes and beckoned him to get back.

'Yes?'

'I… um…,' she rasped. She put her hands on his chest and climbed to her toes.

Adrien lowered his head, assuming she wanted to give him a peck on the cheek, a _bissou_, just like the one he'd been granted when he compared her to Ladybug.

Smack!

Marinette's lips landed on his nearly giving him an aneurysm. His brain must have short-circuited at that point because he didn't remember how exactly he managed to get out of the passage and into bright daylight. Swarms of ladybugs were already buzzing around returning statues left by Nemesis to their living breathing form.

Ladybug appeared a moment later, carrying a sour Giselle over the streets of Paris. It might have been Adrien's imagination, but the heroine's hold on the model was not as comfortable as with other victims. As Ladybug swung over his head, he thought he saw a fresh coat of blush peeking from under the rim of her mask. He definitely hadn't imagined the fond smile she sent his way, even if it baffled him, since he hadn't seen her that day at all, neither as Chat nor as Adrien.

His phone beeped just as Plagg caught up with him. Adrien's heart sped up again. The notification showed "Princess". When had he changed Marinette's contact to _that_? Plagg's not so quiet and definitely shameless snort might have been an indication that it wasn't Adrien who had done it.

The boy unlocked the screen, trying to hide the text from his snickering kwami.

_[*Princess*:] A picnic in the park after your shoot? My treat._

A picnic! He would never miss an opportunity like that. Adrien's fingers danced over the keyboard. He clicked "send" before he could change his mind.

_[Me:] Sure. But only if I can bring you a coffee and some bread._

The seconds after that stretched to eternity. Finally, after good half a minute a chime announced another message.

_[*Princess*:] I know I'm gonna regret asking, but why?_

Adrien smirked at the screen. His moment has come. And even Plagg's groan couldn't spoil his delight.

_[Me:] Because I loaf you a latte._

* * *

_Author's Note: Another update, as promised. I told you, you wouldn't have to wait as long as for the previous chapter. Now there's only the epilogue left. I'm not sure if I can post it tomorrow or next weekend. We'll see._

_A shoutout to my amazing beta, Remasa, who's been infinitely patient with me. Thank you for helping me making this story the best it can be!_

_And thank you my lovely readers, for reviews, favs and follows. You've made my entire week. I am so glad you're enjoying this story!_

_For more miraculous content visit me on perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com !_


	20. Epilogue Adrien's Girlfriend

**20\. Adrien's Girlfriend**

**_In which Adrien doesn't want a kiss_**

**(Epilogue)**

'Absolutely not!' Adrien cried, already beet red and vexed. 'No kissing!'

'But Monsieur Adrien!' Vincent lamented throwing his head back and his hands up in the air as if he'd been one of inflatable tube men.

Adrien almost pitied him. He'd stood in front of Vincent's camera for years, never complaining, never demanding, never protesting. Even if the Italian photographer's ideas made him uncomfortable or silly. Even if he had to endure hours of strange poses and itchy clothes. But not today. Today the man had crossed the line.

'I said no!' Adrien repeated.

'Vincent, why are you shouting at my son, at my photoshoot?' A stern voice came from behind the photographer.

Vincent whipped his head to where Adrien's father was standing, his face not bearing any traces of smile or content.

'Ah, Monsieur Agreste, there's a problem,' he wailed, gesturing wildly to Adrien and his supposed partner for the photoshoot, a loud blonde girl from Norway, as far as he recalled. 'Your son refuses to kiss the model he's been paired with.'

'There was never any kissing involved before.' Adrien grumbled, taking a few extra steps away from the other model. 'I don't see how suddenly it's needed.'

Vincent rolled his eyes. 'Adrien, that's the whole theme of this collection,' he complained. 'You simply can't _not_ kiss your colleague. Every outfit deserves a kiss!'

'No, I won't,'Adrien stomped his foot stubbornly. His embarrassment at Vincent's failed attempts at cajoling, prompting or persuading him into kissing the girl had been epic even before his father had arrived. Now it was of astronomical proportions. But he had made up his mind.

'Monsieur Agreste, this is unprofessional,' Vincent apparently couldn't recognize a dead horse when he saw one. And as this was the first time Adrien technically threw a tantrum (not really, but the stink eye the photographer was giving him made it feel that way), he must have thought taking things up to his father would help in any way.

Well, it wouldn't.

'I warn you, Vincent. Adrien is an Agreste, and once committed, an Agreste will never yield,' Monsieur Agreste announced coldly. 'Besides, I have anticipated the current difficulties and the solution is… being prepared.'

The photographer nodded gloomily. He turned to the Norwegian model and shrugged.

Adrien was about to sigh in relief when his father glared at him. A raised brow was never a good sign.

'Now Adrien,' Agreste senior rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'I understand your discomfort, but you're not a 14 year old anymore. This collection is targeted at older teens and young adults and as such it requires, as the main designer likes to say - some "rock-and-roll",' he winced at the description. 'So if you're uncomfortable and want to resign-‚' he suspended his voice.

'No!' Adrien protested. 'I promised I'd help,' he cast a look at the other model and lowered his voice to a desperate whisper. 'But I can't kiss her. I just can't.'

'I see.' His father straightened up and looked at something behind Adrien's back. Whatever he saw there, it made him smirk like a cat that just ate a canary. 'May I offer you another solution?' he motioned Adrien to turn around.

The sight stole the air in his lungs and made him clutch at his chest, as his heart threatened to rip out and run. To _her._

For an outsider it probably looked as if Marinette simply arrived at the set. But not for Adrien. As far as he was concerned she graced these mortals with her divine presence. Now, however, it seemed that she had received a whole makeover.

Her hair was curled into midnight locks, weaving its way around her shoulders. Her beauty was subtly enhanced by the make-up artist, who made her lashes even longer and somehow managed to make her unique freckles stand out despite the applied blush. She was wearing a dress of her own design, delicate and ethereal. The material hugged her curves like a glove, yet it seemed to float as if in a breeze. She looked like incarnation of the Spring herself.

It's been four years since that fateful April and she never ceased taking his breath away. Sometimes he wondered if the fever had been real, or maybe just an embarrassing dream that allowed him to finally understand what his heart had known all along. That Marinette Dupain-Cheng was his love, his soulmate, his everything.

'Ah, and here she is,' Adrien's father announced with a smile.

'Monsieur Gabriel?' Marinette stepped lightly over the set as she approached them. 'You wanted to see me?'

'You hired a new model, Monsieur Agreste?' the photographer exclaimed, his gaze already calculating and planning. 'A new face?'

'Vincent, may I introduce you to the creative mind behind this collection,' Gabriel raised his voice above the susurration that swept over the set at Marinette's arrival. 'Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng.'

'I will kiss her!' Adrien volunteered, finally understanding his father's scheme. 'I'm the only one allowed to, you know!' he added with a Cheshire cat grin.

'Of course you will, Adrien,' Agreste senior assured, corners of his lips twitching into a smirk. 'Now go to the make-up artist to refresh your look. You're all sweaty and your hair simply won't do.'

He gave the boy a gentle push and offered to show Marinette to the set while they waited for Adrien. As the teen made his way to the makeup station he heard his father's content voice.

'I thank the heavens every day that he fell in love with you, Marinette.' Now there was a horrified gasp as he added. 'There was a time I was seriously afraid Ladybug would be my future daughter-in-law.'

Adrien heard Marinette's adorable giggle and he snorted. If only his father knew.

He often went back to that moment when he had helped her to a bench, before she made him return to the photoshoot, leaving her to wait for Ladybug to do her magic and cure her ankle. He sometimes regretted not stalling for a bit that day. Maybe he'd figure it out sooner. Instead it took him all day of floating on cloud nine before he recalled the sensation of his first kisses with Marinette, and connected it with the time Ladybug's power surged through him the day before that. Same energy, same magic. In one compact package of the love of his life, the bravest girl he knew. His girlfriend.

The End

* * *

_Author's Note: And here is the epilogue for Spring Fever. It's time to say goodbye to this story. It's been quite a ride, that stretched Adrinette April up until December! Thank you all for sticking with this fic to the very end. I hope you enjoyed it. I greatly appreciate your reviews, favs and follows. It was a pleasure to see each and every one of them._

_I am deeply grateful to my beta Remasa for all the help, brainstorming and valuable advice! Make sure to check out her stories, they're one of my favorites._

_What's next from me? My ML Secret Santa contribution and then I plan to get back to The Girl in the Mirror and my other unfinished multichapter stories. Stay tuned!_

_You can find me on tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog . tumblr . com), where I share my fics and art, and reblog mostly miraculous stuff. _


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